Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Inhibitors
摘要
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is the causative agent of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), an emerging zoonosis which is the most widespread tick-borne viral infection of humans. CCHFV is distributed across Africa, Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia following the circulation of its main vectors, ticks of the genus Hyalomma. Although CCHF has been described for the first time in 1944 in Crimea, to date, specific antivirals or vaccines have not yet been developed. The classification of CCHFV as a microorganism that can be handled under biosafety level 4 conditions (the highest biocontainment level) combined by the lack of appropriate animal models significantly slowed down the research on the viral biology as well as the development of efficient therapeutics. Nowadays, general supportive care and treatment of symptoms represent the main approaches to fight CCHF. The antiviral drug ribavirin has been used to treat CCHF infection with limited benefit. Considering its wide diffusion and the potential impact on human health, CCHF was included in the World Health Organization List of Blueprint priority diseases in 2017. Since then, numerous investigations have been conducted in order to identify effective antiviral candidates for the development of CCHF therapeutic approaches. This book chapter provides a comprehensive library of small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides that have been demonstrated to inhibit CCHFV. Furthermore, new research fields towards innovative CCHFV inhibitors are also discussed.