“This is the first case of hemorrhagic fever recorded in Salahaddin. The person is Arab and from Samarra district,” Yasin Dawoodi, a member of the Salahaddin Provincial Council, told reporters.
A document from Salahaddin’s veterinary hospital, seen by Rudaw, sent recommendations to the Iraqi agriculture ministry’s veterinary department to carry out a general pesticide spraying campaign for animals and livestock in the area where the infected person was located.
CCHF is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted through multiple routes, including bites from infected ticks, contact with blood or tissues of infected animals, exposure to bodily fluids of infected persons, and consumption of raw or undercooked meat from infected livestock.
While some cases present with mild symptoms, the disease is frequently fatal. Severe symptoms may include internal bleeding, coma, and multi-organ failure affecting the liver, kidneys, and respiratory system. The World Health Organization estimates the fatality rate can reach up to 40%.
CCHF has been endemic in Iraq since 1979, but has seen a resurgence since 2021, particularly in the southern provinces, raising public health concerns.
Fears over the spread of the hemorrhagic fever led to Muslims sacrificing a fewer amount of animals during this year’s Eid al-Adha.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has confirmed five cases of CCHF so far, with the most recent reported last week. It has also instructed the public not to slaughter animals at home.