Dhi Qar Grapples with Escalating Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak Amid Lack of Effective Response
Iraq's Dhi Qar battles deadly hemorrhagic fever outbreak: 82 cases, 3 deaths reported. Crippled by vet shortages & weak healthcare, residents demand urgent action as province leads nation in infections. No containment plan in sight amid rising public alarm.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraq’s southern province of Dhi Qar is facing an intensifying public health crisis due to the rapid spread of viral hemorrhagic fever, a life-threatening zoonotic disease transmitted through tick bites or contact with infected animal blood. The outbreak is not only endangering the lives of residents but also straining the province’s already fragile healthcare infrastructure.
Confirmed Cases and Death Toll Rising
According to the Health and Environment Committee in the Dhi Qar Provincial Council, more than 82 confirmed cases of hemorrhagic fever have been recorded since the beginning of the year, including three fatalities. Four additional patients remain in isolation wards receiving treatment.
Underlying Factors Behind the Crisis
Experts attribute the worsening situation to critical shortages in both medical resources and veterinary personnel, particularly at the under-equipped veterinary hospital in the province. Local citizens have voiced deep concern over the lack of effective solutions, questioning the availability of necessary treatments as the number of infections continues to rise.
Calls for Immediate Government Intervention
Residents of Dhi Qar are urging both local and federal authorities to implement swift and effective measures. These include strengthening the public health sector, deploying additional veterinary professionals, securing essential medications, and launching awareness and prevention campaigns to curb further transmission.
Dhi Qar Tops Infection List Amid Absent Strategy
Dhi Qar currently ranks as the highest among Iraqi provinces in terms of hemorrhagic fever cases. Yet, health officials have failed to present a comprehensive strategy to contain the outbreak, raising fears of deeper deterioration in public health conditions.
The viral hemorrhagic fever outbreak has emerged as a formidable challenge for the people of Dhi Qar, threatening wider health and safety in the absence of adequate support. The situation demands coordinated governmental and community efforts to confront this escalating threat and prevent further loss of life.
Kurdistan24 corresponded in Dhi Qar contributed to this article.
