Question: Who is at risk for Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever (OHF)? ?
Answer: Humans can become infected through tick bites or through contact with the blood, feces, or urine of an infected, sick, or dead animal – most commonly, rodents. Occupational and recreational activities such as hunting or trapping may increase human risk of infection. Transmission may also occur with no direct tick or rodent exposure as OHFV appears to be extremely stable in different environments. It has been isolated from aquatic animals and water and there is even evidence that OHFV can be transmitted through the milk of infected goats or sheep to humans. No human-to-human transmission of OHFV has been documented but infections due to lab contamination have been described.
Source: CDC

Question: What are the symptoms of Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever (OHF) ?
Answer: After an incubation period of 3-8 days, the symptoms of OHF begin suddenly with chills, fever, headache, and severe muscle pain with vomiting, gastrointestinal symptoms and bleeding problems occurring 3-4 days after initial symptom onset. Patients may experience abnormally low blood pressure and low platelet, red blood cell, and white blood cell counts. After 1-2 weeks of symptoms, some patients recover without complication. However, the illness is biphasic for a subset of patients who experience a second wave of symptoms at the beginning of the third week. These symptoms include fever and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). The case fatality rate of OHF is low (0.5% to 3%).
Source: CDC

Question: Who is at risk for Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever (OHF)? ?
Answer: In areas where rodent reservoirs and tick species are prevalent, people with recreational or occupational exposure to rural or outdoor settings (e.g., hunters, campers, forest workers, farmers) are potentially at increased risk for OHF by contact with infected ticks and animals. Furthermore, those in Siberia who hunt and trap muskrats specifically are at higher risk for OHF. Exposure may also occur in the laboratory environment.
Source: CDC

Question: How to diagnose Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever (OHF) ?
Answer: OHF virus may be detected in blood samples by virus isolation in cell culture or using molecular techniques such as PCR. Blood samples can also be tested for antibody presence using enzyme-linked immunosorbent seologic assay (ELISA).
Source: CDC