Duhok records first hemorrhagic fever case of 2026 after sheep herder tests positive

DUHOK — Health authorities in Duhok Governorate have confirmed the first hemorrhagic fever case recorded in the governorate this year after laboratory tests verified the infection of a 47-year-old sheep herder from Sinjar.

The man visited Azadi Hospital on June 1 after developing symptoms that led medical staff to suspect hemorrhagic fever. Samples sent to specialized laboratories in Baghdad confirmed the infection, and he was admitted for treatment and monitoring. Bakhtiar Ahmed, director of Duhok’s Health Prevention Department, told 964media the patient’s condition is stable and that he remains under continuous medical supervision.

The case comes as Iraq continues to record infections across several governorates. On May 12, the Health Ministry reported 15 new cases and one death in Dhi Qar during the previous week, bringing the nationwide total at that time to 48 confirmed infections and four deaths in 2026. Dhi Qar recorded five new infections and one death during that period, while Maysan, Muthanna and Wasit each recorded two cases, and single cases were reported in Baghdad’s Rusafa district, Diyala, Diwaniyah and Kirkuk.

Health Ministry spokesman Saif al-Badr described hemorrhagic fever as a serious viral disease transmitted through tick bites or contact with infected animals, meat, skin and bodily fluids, with livestock breeders, traders, transporters and butchers among the most vulnerable. He urged people handling animals or meat to wear protective clothing and gloves, purchase meat only from licensed slaughterhouses and ensure it is thoroughly cooked, warning that delays in seeking care “can lead to dangerous hemorrhagic complications that may end in death.” Early diagnosis and treatment in isolation wards, he said, greatly improve recovery prospects.

Iraq recorded 231 infections and 30 deaths linked to hemorrhagic fever by July 2025. In September 2025, the Agriculture Ministry launched a nationwide campaign to spray cattle and buffalo and provide free dipping treatments for sheep and goats as part of efforts to contain the disease.