Latest news with #KirkukHealthDirectorate
Shafaq News
13-05-2025
- Climate
- Shafaq News
Hit hard by dust storm: 50+ respiratory cases reported
Shafaq News/ A dust storm swept across Kirkuk province and its surrounding districts, leaving around 50 people suffering from respiratory distress, Iraqi health officials reported on Tuesday. In a statement to Shafaq News, Saman Yaba, spokesperson for the Kirkuk Health Directorate, confirmed that most cases were classified as mild to moderate. Patients also received first aid in emergency units at hospitals across the city, with medical teams remaining on alert for a possible rise in cases. The most affected groups, he added, included the elderly and individuals with chronic respiratory conditions. Dust storms have covered large parts of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, since early Tuesday. Visibility dropped to less than one kilometre in several western areas due to dense airborne particles. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors, wear protective masks, and avoid direct exposure to the dust. By evening, the Iraqi General Authority of Meteorology and Seismology reported improved visibility across central and western provinces. However, satellite imagery showed the dust mass continuing eastward and southeastward, reaching areas such as Basra. Forecasts for Wednesday indicate a gradual easing of conditions. Heavier dust concentrations are expected in western and southwestern parts of the country, while other regions may experience lighter effects. Rain remains in the forecast overnight and into Wednesday across western al-Anbar, northern Nineveh, Duhok, northern Erbil, and parts of al-Sulaymaniyah.
Shafaq News
26-04-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
CCHF: Iraq's Kirkuk mourns another health worker
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Kirkuk province recorded a new death from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a medical source at the Kirkuk Health Directorate revealed on Saturday. The source told Shafaq News that the latest victim, an employee in the laboratory department at Kirkuk Teaching Hospital, had been diagnosed with the virus several days earlier and later died from complications, adding, 'This is the second fatality among health workers in Kirkuk during the current surge in cases.' Kirkuk Health Directorate intensified preventive measures across medical facilities, conducting health screenings for staff to limit potential transmission, the source noted, pointing out that the latest death raises the province's fatality count to four since the beginning of this year's outbreak. Meanwhile, health officials in al-Anbar province emphasized that no confirmed CCHF cases have been recorded there to date. Mohammed Sabah Dawood, Head of the Public Health Department at al-Anbar Health Directorate, explained to our agency that all reported cases remain 'suspected' pending laboratory confirmation. 'Preventive protocols were implemented promptly after initial alerts, helping contain the situation and prevent further spread,' Dawood clarified, stressing the ongoing coordination between health teams and hospitals to strengthen surveillance and emergency response across the province. Public health campaigns and monitoring efforts remain active, he said, urging citizens to disregard unverified reports on social media and other outlets and to rely solely on official updates to avoid 'unnecessary panic.' According to Shafaq News tracker, 27 CCHF cases had been recorded nationwide since the beginning of the year, including four fatalities. CCHF, transmitted by tick bites or contact with infected animal blood, is highly contagious and can be fatal in more than 40% of cases, particularly if not treated promptly.
Shafaq News
21-04-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
Kirkuk bounces back: CCHF recovery reported
Shafaq News/ One patient diagnosed with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has fully recovered and been discharged from hospital, leaving only a single active case under treatment in Kirkuk, health officials said on Monday. Arjan Mohammed Rashid, head of the Kirkuk Health Directorate, told Shafaq News that the patient was released after completing treatment and receiving confirmation of full recovery from the medical team. 'The health situation is under control,' Rashid said, noting that only one patient remains hospitalized and is receiving appropriate care. He added that medical and preventive teams continue to monitor the situation and enforce precautionary measures. Rashid urged the public to follow health guidelines and cooperate with authorities by reporting any suspected cases. The Iraqi Ministry of Health announced, on Sunday, that five new cases of CCHF have been confirmed, bringing the nationwide total to 19 since the beginning of 2025.
Shafaq News
19-04-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
CCHF: Death toll rises to two in Iraq's Kirkuk
Shafaq News/ A second fatality linked to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has been confirmed in Iraq's Kirkuk province, heightening concerns over a possible outbreak as temperatures rise. A medical source told Shafaq News that the victim, Yadkar Nouri—a nurse in his twenties employed by the Kirkuk Health Directorate—died from severe hemorrhaging caused by the virus after several days of treatment. This follows an earlier case involving a resident of Tuz Khurmatu. Yesterday, health officials reported two new infections in Kirkuk. CCHF, transmitted by tick bites or contact with infected animal blood, is highly contagious and can be fatal in more than 40% of cases, particularly if not treated promptly. Authorities have urged the public to avoid unregulated animal slaughter and to seek immediate medical care if symptoms such as fever or unexplained bleeding appear.
Shafaq News
18-04-2025
- Health
- Shafaq News
CCHF: Kirkuk hits by two new cases
Shafaq News/ Two new cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) have been confirmed in Iraq's Kirkuk province, a day after the region recorded its first virus-related death this year. A source within the Kirkuk Health Directorate told Shafaq News that one of the new cases involves a government employee, while the other is a resident from the province's southern districts. Both individuals are currently hospitalized in a specialized treatment center and remain under close medical supervision. 'Authorities have launched contact tracing operations and public awareness campaigns in the affected areas to prevent further spread.' On Thursday, Kirkuk registered its first fatality from the virus in 2025. The deceased patient initially suffered from a high fever, severe headache, and muscle pain, which progressed to internal and external bleeding. CCHF is a highly infectious viral disease transmitted mainly through tick bites or contact with the blood of infected animals. It carries a fatality rate that can exceed 40% in severe cases, especially when diagnosis or treatment is delayed. Health authorities have urged residents to avoid unregulated animal slaughter and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as fever or unexplained bleeding occur.
