Iraq records 15 cases of Crimean-Congo fever in one month

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – In the space of just one month, Iraqi authorities have recorded 15 deaths due to the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, according to the latest figures.

Last month, 12 people died from the virus, which is usually transmited from infected animals to human beings via ticks, the official figures indicated.

With these latest fatalities, the total death toll from the Crimean-Congo fever is now 27, a sharp increase in fatalities from previous years, according to figures released by the Iraqi Health Ministry’s spokesperson Saif Al-Badr.

According to the Iraqi official, Iraq has recorded seven new cases of the disease across the country since Friday. The total number of recorded infections since the beginning of this year stands at 162 cases.

The Kurdistan Region also announced its first death due to the disease on Saturday.

The number of infections this year are unprecedented and have caused concern among health officials.

According to the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture, reduced working hours for staff who implement proper hygiene procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic and improper livestock slaughtering practices have contributed to the rise in the number of cases.

Southern Iraq's Dhi Qar province is the heaviest hit by this latest outbreak of the infectious disease, according to health officials.

After being infected with the virus, the victim suffers a range of symptoms, including high fever and internal and external bleeding. The incubation period is usually 5-6 days.

Most of those that have tested positive for the fever are butchers and livestock breeders.

Edited by NA