Suspected Hemorrhagic Fever case reported in Iraq's Nineveh

Shafaq News/ Health officials in Nineveh governorate reported a suspected case of hemorrhagic fever in a young man, bringing the total number of cases in the region to 12 since the beginning of the year 2024.

A source from the Nineveh Health Department told Shafaq News Agency on Sunday that a 20-year-old man from the Al-Ayadiyah sub-district, west of Mosul, is currently receiving treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital in Mosul.

The source stated that Nineveh Health officials are awaiting laboratory confirmation from the Public Health Department in Baghdad to verify the infection. "the young man had slaughtered an animal believed to be infected a few days prior."

As of now, Nineveh has recorded 12 confirmed cases this year, excluding the suspected case. Among these, there have been two fatalities, according to the health department source.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of diseases caused by several distinct families of viruses. The term refers to conditions where many of the body's organ systems are affected, the cardiovascular system is damaged, and the body's ability to function independently is reduced.

These viral infections are not limited to a single mode of transmission. They can spread in numerous ways, including through insect bites and contact with the body fluids of infected people or animals.

In Iraq, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most common type.

According to the WHO, Iraq is among the eastern Mediterranean countries where Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is endemic.

WHO pointed out that sheep and cattle husbandry are prevalent in Iraq, and studies indicate that these animals are frequently infested with ticks, primarily Hylomma species, which serve as the primary vectors for CCHF transmission.