Kurdistan Region forms health committees to combat Congo fever
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Health committees were formed in three Kurdish cities to combat the Congo fever, officials from the areas told Rudaw on Sunday amid an outbreak of the virus in Iraq’s southern provinces.
Formed in Sulaimani, Duhok, and Halabja, the committees are advised to quarantine suspects of the virus and to send their blood samples to Baghdad to confirm their infection.
Spokesperson for Sulaimani's health directorate told Rudaw on Sunday that suspects of the infection are kept at the hospital until their test results are received from the Iraqi capital.
Baghdad usually sends the test results in 24 hours, the head of the transmissible diseases unit at Duhok’s health directorate, Sagvan Hassan Ali said.
Iraq is suffering from an outbreak of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, also known as Congo fever. It is tick-borne which causes severe hemorrhaging. It has been endemic to Iraq since 1979 and reappeared again last year.
The country has recorded 19 deaths among 111 cases of the virus, AFP cited the World Health Organization (WHO) as saying on Sunday.
However, the Kurdistan Region has recorded only two infections of Congo fever so far.
The virus has no vaccine and onset symptoms can be rapid, causing severe internal and external bleeding. Signs of the infection also include excessive headaches, fatigue, blue marks on the skin, and hematuria - blood in the urine - amongst others, according to WHO.
Iraq’s poor southern province of Dhi Qar accounts for most of the positive cases. The area is known for rearing cattle, sheep, and goats, all of which are potential disease carriers.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday allocated 1 billion dinars to combat the virus.
People are often infected with the virus after they are exposed to the blood of infected animals, usually after slaughtering livestock. It has a fatality rate of up to 40 percent, WHO says.
Formed in Sulaimani, Duhok, and Halabja, the committees are advised to quarantine suspects of the virus and to send their blood samples to Baghdad to confirm their infection.
Spokesperson for Sulaimani's health directorate told Rudaw on Sunday that suspects of the infection are kept at the hospital until their test results are received from the Iraqi capital.
Baghdad usually sends the test results in 24 hours, the head of the transmissible diseases unit at Duhok’s health directorate, Sagvan Hassan Ali said.
Iraq is suffering from an outbreak of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, also known as Congo fever. It is tick-borne which causes severe hemorrhaging. It has been endemic to Iraq since 1979 and reappeared again last year.
The country has recorded 19 deaths among 111 cases of the virus, AFP cited the World Health Organization (WHO) as saying on Sunday.
However, the Kurdistan Region has recorded only two infections of Congo fever so far.
The virus has no vaccine and onset symptoms can be rapid, causing severe internal and external bleeding. Signs of the infection also include excessive headaches, fatigue, blue marks on the skin, and hematuria - blood in the urine - amongst others, according to WHO.
Iraq’s poor southern province of Dhi Qar accounts for most of the positive cases. The area is known for rearing cattle, sheep, and goats, all of which are potential disease carriers.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi on Saturday allocated 1 billion dinars to combat the virus.
People are often infected with the virus after they are exposed to the blood of infected animals, usually after slaughtering livestock. It has a fatality rate of up to 40 percent, WHO says.