Kirkuk nurse dies of hemorrhagic fever in second fatality this year

KIRKUK — A hospital nurse died Friday morning from hemorrhagic fever at Kirkuk General Teaching Hospital, marking the second confirmed death from the virus in Kirkuk governorate this year, a medical source said.

“At 7 a.m. today, a staff nurse at the General Teaching Hospital passed away after contracting hemorrhagic fever,” the source told 964media.

The nurse was believed to have been exposed to the virus through close contact with infected patients. He tested positive on Thursday following laboratory analysis.

“He tested positive for hemorrhagic fever last Thursday, and although he received the necessary treatment, he died due to the severity of the internal bleeding,” the source said.

The death follows the April 17 fatality of a 30-year-old butcher from Omer Khatab village in Daquq district, who died after several days in the hospital.

That case was one of two initially confirmed in Kirkuk this year. The second patient, a livestock trader from Bashir village in the Taza Khurmatu subdistrict, remains under medical supervision.

According to Iraq’s Ministry of Health, the country continues to face recurring outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever, especially in rural areas where contact with livestock is common. In 2024, Iraq reported 185 confirmed cases, including 26 deaths. Kirkuk accounted for four infections and one fatality last year.