ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Duhok province on Saturday confirmed its first Crimean-Congo fever fatality, a hospital official told Rudaw.
The patient, a 45-year-old woman from the Sheladze subdistrict, was admitted to Azadi Teaching Hospital on Wednesday after exhibiting symptoms of the disease. On Friday, her test results returned from Baghdad and confirmed the diagnosis. She passed away on Saturday, Sagvan Sulaiman, head of the hospital, told Rudaw.
The Kurdistan Region’s first case of Crimean-Congo fever this year was recorded on May 2 in the town of Koya in Erbil province.
Riyadh al-Halfi, director general of the Public Health Directorate at the health ministry, told Rudaw on Monday that they have recorded 53 cases of the fever, including seven deaths.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a highly contagious virus that can be transmitted to humans through several routes, including contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, bites from infected ticks, direct exposure to bodily fluids of infected individuals, and consumption of raw or undercooked meat from infected livestock. It is frequently fatal, with severe symptoms including internal bleeding, coma, and multi-organ failure.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) introduced precautionary measures last month to prevent the spread of the disease.
Hayder Doski contributed to this article.
