ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s health ministry on Sunday said it has registered 145 cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), including nine deaths, from the beginning of the year through August, with cases surging after the first quarter.

Saif al-Badr, the ministry’s spokesperson, told state newspaper that six of the deaths were recorded in the province of Dhi Qar, with one each reported in Diyala, Babil, and Basra.

“In the first quarter of the year, only 40 cases and one death were recorded before the numbers increased,” he said.

Hemorrhagic fever is an infectious viral disease, often transmitted from animals to humans, with symptoms that can range from mild to severe and life-threatening, with those working closely with animals facing an elevated risk of infection.

Certain variants of the viral infection can also be transmitted through mosquito or tick bites, while others spread from person to person through infected body fluids, such as blood, saliva, and semen.

The infection remains a public health concern in Iraq, with cases mostly concentrated in central and southern parts of the country, particularly in Dhi Qar.

In May 2025, the ministry said that the total number of hemorrhagic fever cases in the country had risen to 62 since the beginning of the year, with four fatalities recorded in Kirkuk.

Provincial authorities have already implemented a series of measures, including prohibiting the slaughter of animals outside designated slaughterhouses.

Iraqi authorities have also urged citizens to take precautions to mitigate the spread of the disease, especially for those who work closely with livestock.