CCHF fears in Iraq’s Kirkuk: Animals blamed

Shafaq News/ Environmental experts warn that large buffalo herds near the entrance to Iraq's Kirkuk province may be fueling the spread of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF).

Environmental specialist Abdulrahman Ali told Shafaq News Agency that an area near Taza town has become a haven for stray livestock, lacking oversight and posing a growing public health risk. “Dozens of buffalo are dying daily,” he explained. “These sites have become hotspots for hemorrhagic fever transmission.”

Iraq’s Health Ministry recently confirmed two CCHF-related deaths in Kirkuk and reported 14 cases nationwide.

Activist Abbas al-Haidari noted to our agency that the two victims—one, a health worker in his twenties named Yadkar Nouri, and the other, a resident of Taza—are believed to have been exposed in the same area, warning that without swift intervention from health and veterinary authorities, a public health crisis could unfold.