Kurdish Health Minister: Two CCHF cases confirmed, including fatality

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Kurdistan Region health authorities confirmed two cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), including one death, as the virus continues to spread across the country.

In a press conferene, Kurdish Health Minister Saman Barzanji reported that a 45-year-old woman from the Shiladze area in Al-Amadiya district died after being infected through contact with livestock kept at her home.

He also warned that the virus’s expansion across Iraq makes its arrival in the Kurdistan Region “unavoidable,” urging livestock handlers and residents to follow strict health protocols to limit transmission.

Earlier today, the Duhok Health Directorate identified the woman’s case as the first confirmed CCHF death in both the province and the Kurdistan Region for 2025.

The latest infection follows last week’s confirmation of the Region’s first CCHF case this year, a 42-year-old butcher in Erbil, prompting an emergency response from health and veterinary teams across multiple provinces.

According to Shafaq News tracker, since the beginning of 2025, Iraq recorded 37 cases, including eight deaths.