First death from hemorrhagic fever reported in Kurdistan Region in 2025

DUHOK — A 45-year-old woman from Shiladze died Saturday morning after contracting hemorrhagic fever, marking the first recorded death from the disease in the Kurdistan Region this year, according to health officials in Duhok.

Dr. Afrasiab Musa, head of the Duhok Health Directorate, told 964media, “On Thursday, May 8, the woman was brought to Azadi Hospital after contracting hemorrhagic fever. She passed away this morning, Saturday, May 10, after two days of treatment.”

“She was infected quickly and came to the hospital late,” Musa said. “Her condition was too far gone, and we couldn’t do anything.”

Musa noted that the woman kept livestock at her home, which is believed to have been the source of the infection.

Health authorities also confirmed a second case of hemorrhagic fever in Erbil’s Koya district, bringing the number of reported infections in the Kurdistan Region to two so far in 2025.

According to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, 54 cases of hemorrhagic fever have been recorded nationwide this year, with Kirkuk reporting the highest number of deaths.