New Crimean-Congo fever case reported in Ranya

A 29-year-old livestock farmer in northern Sulaimani province has tested positive for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever after exposure to infected animals, the Kurdistan Region’s health ministry announced on Friday.

“Another case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever was recorded, a 29-year-old male resident of Boskin sub-district in Ranya district in the Raparin administration, whose profession is livestock farming. He was exposed to infected animals,” read a statement from the ministry. 

“He is currently hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is receiving treatment. His health condition is stable so far,” the statement added. 

This is the fourth confirmed case of the fever in the Kurdistan Region this year. Two cases, one of them fatal, were recorded in Duhok province and one in Koya, along with one person originally from Basra who tested positive in Erbil.

“Over the past two months, only four cases have been identified and confirmed. Unfortunately, one of them lost their life due to the severity of their health condition, and the other cases have completely recovered and been discharged from the hospital,” the ministry said. 

The Crimean-Congo fever is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted to humans through multiple routes, including bites from infected ticks, contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, exposure to bodily fluids of infected individuals, and consumption of raw or undercooked meat from infected livestock.

As of early May, Iraq reported 53 confirmed infections and seven deaths, the director general of the Public Health Directorate at the federal health ministry, Riyadh al-Halfi, told Rudaw at the time

Preventive measures are ongoing. They include the use of protective gear, such as gloves, masks, and goggles, especially for those who work with animals or meat. Veterinary hospitals have also been conducting large-scale tick control campaigns since late April.

The Iraqi government stated in April that it is “exerting full efforts” to contain the outbreak, reassuring citizens that “with proper measures in place, transmission to citizens will remain rare.” The ministry urged caution when handling meat, recommending the use of protective gloves and separate utensils for raw meat.

(Source:Rudaw)