Duhok launches campaign to curb hemorrhagic fever spread

DUHOK — The Duhok Veterinary Directorate has begun a 45-day campaign to inspect and disinfect livestock areas amid renewed concerns over hemorrhagic fever.

“Today, with 19 teams we began a campaign to inspect and disinfect all places and projects where animals and livestock are kept. The campaign will continue for another 45 days,” Dr. Adel Anwar, head of the health unit at the directorate, told 964media. “Wherever necessary, we vaccinate the animals and provide the required guidance to their owners.”

The effort started in 27 villages in Semel district that were recently quarantined and will expand to other parts of Duhok governorate. Anwar said tests have been carried out on several people suspected of infection in Semel, with results pending.

Two cases have been recorded in the district in the past 10 days. One patient, a Syrian Kurd, died, while another remains under medical supervision at Azadi Hospital in Duhok. Both were butchers. On Saturday, the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health confirmed that a 43-year-old butcher from Semel had been hospitalized after contact with infected livestock, saying his condition is stable.

At the national level, Iraq’s Health Ministry said in July that 231 cases of hemorrhagic fever had been confirmed since the start of 2025, with 30 deaths. Dhi Qar remains the worst-hit governorate with 84 cases, though infections have been reported across most of the country, including Baghdad, Basra, Diyala, Nineveh, Kirkuk, Erbil, and Duhok.