Shafaq News- Dhi Qar
At least 45 Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) cases were recordedin Iraq’s Dhi Qar province since the beginning of 2026, including seven deaths,a source told Shafaq News on Sunday, linking the recent rise in infections tounsanitary slaughter practices.
“Unregulated slaughterhouses operating in Dhi Qar and Baghdad arefunctioning outside official health oversight,’’ he explained, noting thatthese facilities are not subject to routine inspections, despite documentedhealth violations.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
During a press briefing, Ahmed al-Ibrahimi, spokesperson for the Dhi QarProvincial Council, reported that the province now records the highest numberof CCHF infections nationwide, citing that inspections conducted over two daystied the outbreak to a slaughterhouse within the al-Nasiriyah district.
Earlier today, Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture introduced a series ofpreventive measures aimed at containing the spread of CCHF ahead of Eidal-Adha, when livestock slaughter typically increases. Health authoritiesreported that Iraq registered 247 cases in 2025, including 38 deaths.
: Blood, ticks, and broken systems: The resurgence of CCHF in Iraq