CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC-FEVER IN SENEGA L - PRESENT STATUS OF THE KNOWLEDGE ON THE ECOLOGY OF THE CCHF VIRUS

The authors finalize the knowledge on the ecology of the CCHF virus in Senegal, West Africa, They specify two new major data for the underst anding of the viral ecology in West Africa. The recognition of a bird species, common and widely distributed in Senegal (Tockus erythrorhync hus, Coraciiformes, Bucerotidae), that replicates the virus and infect s the immature stages of its current parasite Hyalomma marginatum rufi pes in more than 90 % of the cases, explains why the minimum infection rate of the adults of this species of tick is always very high. The i mplication of Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi in the viral ecology and/o r a high efficiency of the transovarial transmission of the virus in H y. m. rufipes would help to explain the maintenance of the endemy in t he sahelian ar;ea. In the sahelian zone, Hy. marginatum rufipes must p lay the leading part, together with Rh. e. evertsi if vector, for the maintenance of the endemy. Hy. truncatum, the adults of which can read ily bite man, ensures the vectorial transmission to him. In the sudani an zone, Amblyomma variegatum must play the same part as the Hyalomma and Rh. e. evertsi (if vector), and is surely the main vector to man, giving perhaps rise to less virulent strains (non hemorrhagic ones).