Mysterious illness kills 300 goats in Duhok’s village of Khardas

DUHOK — A mysterious illness has killed more than 300 goats in the village of Khardas, located in the Akre district of Duhok governorate, over the past two weeks, leaving herders alarmed and awaiting answers from veterinary authorities.

“For many years, I’ve raised livestock, and this is the first time such a strange disease has spread among my goats,” said Idris Zebari, a livestock project owner in the village. “So far, 300 goats have died and many others are sick.”

Villagers began noticing signs of illness in their goats around 15 days ago. Despite visits from veterinary teams, the exact cause of the outbreak remains unknown. Samples have been taken and test results are expected in the coming days.

“Today, I lost a large number of my goats and even some belonging to my cousin [have died],” Zebari said. “We still don’t know the cause of the disease, but yesterday a group of veterinarians came and conducted examinations. In a few days, the results will be out and we’ll find out what’s behind it.”

Zebari estimated that the outbreak has cost him about $40,000 in damages in just two weeks.

In February, a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak spread across Iraq, infecting thousands of livestock and leading to the deaths of numerous buffalo and cattle—mostly unvaccinated and newborn animals. Government teams responded to the crisis and later announced that the disease had been fully contained.