ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi health ministry on Monday announced 145 confirmed cases and nine deaths from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) since the start of the year, amid increased preventive measures.
Health Ministry spokesperson Saif al-Badr told state media that since the first recorded Iraqi case of 2026 on May 7 in Kirkuk province, “the cumulative situation has reached a total of 145 laboratory-confirmed cases with 9 deaths distributed among the provinces.”
CCHF, endemic in Iraq since 1979, is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted through multiple routes, including bites from infected ticks, contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, exposure to bodily fluids of infected persons, and the consumption of raw or undercooked meat from infected livestock.
It has seen a resurgence since 2021, particularly in the southern provinces, raising public health concerns.
Iraq’s southern Dhi Qar province has been the hardest hit with 74 cases and six deaths, Badr confirmed. Muthanna province follows behind with 18 cases and no deaths. According to Iraq’s health ministry, 37 people died and 247 were infected with the virus in 2025.
The ministry has responded by launching and expanding health awareness campaigns and strengthening early detection and treatment measures, which are effective when the disease is caught early.
Badr emphasized that while the ministry is responsible for diagnosis and patient care, preventing the disease requires collaboration with agricultural, municipal, and security authorities for vector control and livestock management.
While some patients experience mild symptoms, CCHF is often fatal. Severe cases can lead to internal bleeding, coma, and multi-organ failure affecting the liver, kidneys, and respiratory system. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the disease’s fatality rate can reach up to 40 percent.
The ministry is following up on the epidemiological situation of hemorrhagic fever disease in all provinces on a daily basis, through epidemiological monitoring teams and health institutions in coordination with the relevant veterinary and regulatory authorities.
