Kirkuk woman confirmed with hemorrhagic fever as tests return from Baghdad

KIRKUK — A 43-year-old woman in Kirkuk has been confirmed with hemorrhagic fever after laboratory test results returned from Baghdad, a medical source at Kirkuk General Teaching Hospital told 964media.

The woman, a housewife and livestock breeder, was admitted to Azadi Hospital on Wednesday after suffering severe bleeding and showing symptoms consistent with the disease. Her condition remains unstable, the source said.

Health officials have repeatedly linked hemorrhagic fever to contact with livestock, slaughtering activities and tick infestations. In January, a case involving a butcher was reported in the al-Kahla district of Maysan governorate, with health teams placing the patient in quarantine and disinfecting his home.

Iraq’s Ministry of Health recorded 231 infections and 30 deaths linked to the disease as of July 2025, with the highest numbers in Dhi Qar, Baghdad’s Rusafa district, Muthanna, Wasit and Basra. In September 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a nationwide campaign to spray cattle and buffalo and dip sheep and goats free of charge as part of containment efforts.