Man dies of Crimean-Congo fever in Erbil

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A 70-plus-year-old man died of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Erbil’s Koya district on Sunday, a top health official confirmed to Kurdistan 24.

The man’s infection with the tick-borne disease was confirmed by two different tests conducted at public laboratories in both Erbil and Baghdad, Sherwan Jalal, the deputy of the Koya General Health Director, told Kurdistan 24.

He has not had any direct contact with animals, the family has told health workers.

Erbil has recorded three deaths caused by the disease since January 2023, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health.

As Muslims in Kurdistan Region are preparing to celebrate Eid Al Adha, an Islamic feast during which thousands of sacrificial animals are slaughtered to mark the religious event, the Ministry on Sunday called on citizens to take precautionary measures, particularly during the slaughtering ceremony.

Animal slaughtering at private households is prohibited and should be conducted at the official slaughterhouses under strict hygiene protocol, the ministry guidance read.

Out of 107 confirmed cases in Iraq, at least 14 people have died since the beginning of this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Health as of last week.

The country recorded 27 deaths among 212 infected people in 2022.

Iraq recorded the first case of Crimean-Congo Fever, against which no known vaccine or cure exists so far, in 1979. Annually, the country records about 20 cases of the disease.

Unregulated livestock breeding and slaughtering have been blamed by health officials for the uptick in cases both this year and in 2022.