ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The southern Iraqi province of Dhi Qar has recorded 27 cases of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever so far in 2024, a health official told state media on Thursday, with the rate of infections having lowered since last year.
“Dhi Qar province has recorded 27 cases of hemorrhagic fever since the beginning of the year 2024, which is much better than last year, 2023, in which the number of cases reached 80, and in 2022 the number of cases reached 100,” said Mohammed Aziz al-Mayahi, head of Dhi Qar’s veterinary directorate.
At least four people have lost their lives due to the disease, according to Mayahi.
He attributed the decrease of infections to an increased effort by the province’s health department to spray a special disinfectant inside animal sheds and spread awareness among society about the fever.
The Crimean-Congo fever is a tick-borne illness that causes severe hemorrhaging. It has been endemic to Iraq since 1979 and has appeared in greater numbers since 2021, sparking fear among locals, especially in southern provinces.
The disease can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or other body fluids, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Some symptoms of the fever include bleeding, severe headaches, fatigue, blue marks on the skin and blood in the urine.
Dhi Qar province leads the country in hemorrhagic fever cases.
In May, Iraq’s health ministry reported that at least 39 people had been diagnosed with Congo fever since the start of the year and five people have died. Over 545 confirmed cases were reported across Iraq in 2023, with 70 deaths.
“Dhi Qar province has recorded 27 cases of hemorrhagic fever since the beginning of the year 2024, which is much better than last year, 2023, in which the number of cases reached 80, and in 2022 the number of cases reached 100,” said Mohammed Aziz al-Mayahi, head of Dhi Qar’s veterinary directorate.
At least four people have lost their lives due to the disease, according to Mayahi.
He attributed the decrease of infections to an increased effort by the province’s health department to spray a special disinfectant inside animal sheds and spread awareness among society about the fever.
The Crimean-Congo fever is a tick-borne illness that causes severe hemorrhaging. It has been endemic to Iraq since 1979 and has appeared in greater numbers since 2021, sparking fear among locals, especially in southern provinces.
The disease can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or other body fluids, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Some symptoms of the fever include bleeding, severe headaches, fatigue, blue marks on the skin and blood in the urine.
Dhi Qar province leads the country in hemorrhagic fever cases.
In May, Iraq’s health ministry reported that at least 39 people had been diagnosed with Congo fever since the start of the year and five people have died. Over 545 confirmed cases were reported across Iraq in 2023, with 70 deaths.
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