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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A woman from Mosul has been diagnosed with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Erbil, the Kurdistan Region's health ministry announced on Sunday, amid nationwide concern over rising CCHF cases.
'A citizen from Mosul was diagnosed with hemorrhagic fever in Erbil,' the Region's health ministry stated, elaborating that the infected woman is 27 years old.
The ministry added that in the last month, two other CCHF cases had been reported in the Kurdistan Region. One patient in the Region's northern Duhok province, who had passed away, and another who completely recovered and was discharged from the hospital. The ministry did not specify the location of the second case.
In early May, the Kurdistan Region recorded its first confirmed case of CCHF in the town of Koya, southeast of Erbil.
CCHF 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 had reported 53 confirmed infections and seven deaths, the director general of the country's Public Health Directorate at the health ministry, Riyadh al-Halfi, then told Rudaw.
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 then urged caution in meat handling, especially among homemakers, recommending the use of protective gloves and separate utensils for raw meat.
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