Duhok records second Congo fever case

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A second woman in Duhok has tested positive for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), the province's health directorate said on Thursday. Her sister recently died of the disease.

“Another case of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever has been recorded in Duhok. The infected individual is the sister of the woman who died from the disease in Dohuk nearly two weeks ago,” Matin Jamil, spokesperson for the Duhok health department, told Rudaw, adding that “her health is very good and stable, and she is under care.”

The deceased sister was the first confirmed case in the province.

On Sunday, a woman from Mosul was diagnosed with CCHF in Erbil, the Kurdistan Region’s health ministry announced.

In early May, the Kurdistan Region recorded its first confirmed case of CCHF in the town of Koya, southeast of Erbil.

CCHF is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted to humans through multiple routes, including bites from infected ticks, contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, exposure to bodily fluids of infected individuals, and consumption of raw or undercooked meat from infected livestock.

As of early May, Iraq had reported 53 confirmed infections and seven deaths, the director general of the country’s Public Health Directorate at the health ministry, Riyadh al-Halfi, then told Rudaw.

Preventive measures are ongoing. They include the use of protective gear, such as gloves, masks, and goggles, especially for those who work with animals or meat. Veterinary hospitals have also been conducting large-scale tick control campaigns since late April.

The Iraqi government stated in April that it is “exerting full efforts” to contain the outbreak, reassuring citizens that “with proper measures in place, transmission to citizens will remain rare.” The ministry then urged caution in meat handling, especially among homemakers, recommending the use of protective gloves and separate utensils for raw meat.