39 Congo fever cases recorded in Iraq this year
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - There have been 39 confirmed cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Iraq so far this year, the spokesperson for Iraq’s health ministry announced on Friday. Five people have died of the illness.
Saif al-Badr told Iraqi state media that out of the 39 cases, 12 were recorded in Dhi Qar province. No cases were found in the Kurdistan Region.
“The Ministry of Health provided all diagnostic supplies and halls to isolate suspected cases,” he said.
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 body fluids, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Signs of the fever include bleeding, excessive headaches, fatigue, blue marks on the skin, and hematuria - blood in the urine - amongst others.
Saif al-Badr told Iraqi state media that out of the 39 cases, 12 were recorded in Dhi Qar province. No cases were found in the Kurdistan Region.
“The Ministry of Health provided all diagnostic supplies and halls to isolate suspected cases,” he said.
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 body fluids, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Signs of the fever include bleeding, excessive headaches, fatigue, blue marks on the skin, and hematuria - blood in the urine - amongst others.