In the latest figures, the Ministry of Health of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government announced a few days ago that two deaths had been recorded in the governorate of Erbil, while the governorate of Kirkuk, in the north of the country, has recorded a death on Saturday, calling on citizens to be careful and not to buy meat of unknown origin, and to avoid mixing with livestock.
This is ringing alarm bells, experts say, who warn that the disease, which was confined to a number of governorates like Dhi Qar in the south of the country, has started to spread across the country.
In the latest statistics revealed by the Iraqi Ministry of Health about a week ago, the ministry confirmed that hemorrhagic fever infections in the country stood at 139 since the start of this year, including 20 deaths, calling the Ministries of Interior and Municipalities to “address the problem of grazing, indiscriminate slaughter and improper transport of animals between cities and provinces.
Kirkuk Health Department Director Ziyad al-Jubouri said in an interview with Sky News Arabia:
We have 3 cases, including one death following complications of the disease, and two cases, one confirmed and the second suspected. Al-Shifa Hospital in Kirkuk provided us with all the medicines, supplies and specialized medical personnel, in anticipation of any emergency and any possible epidemic wave. We coordinate with relevant and competent authorities from Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Veterinary Affairs, Municipality, Governorate, Organized Crime and other security agencies, to investigate and monitor epidemiology through the through field teams to detect affected areas and prevent the disease from spreading, treat suspected cases among livestock, monitor butcher shops and prevent cases of indiscriminate slaughter. The most important role in the fight against this epidemic lies with the municipal, veterinary and agricultural departments, and we, as the Ministry of Health, are a support body for these departments by educating citizens about the prevention of this disease and by supporting the treatment of infected patients to save their lives. The most important thing in such circumstances is not to buy meat from street vendors or unlicensed stores, with the need for this meat to be stamped with the seal of the authorities concerned, and to respect the rules of general hygiene and personal, while cooking the meat well.
What is hemorrhagic fever?
It is a viral fever that is usually transmitted from infected animals to humans through contaminated blood or meat, and due to lack of surveillance and weak sanitary precautions and preventive controls in the work of butcheries, and the slaughter of sick animals without examination or control. .
Although the virus dies if infected meat contaminated with the virus is thoroughly cooked, it can even be transmitted through the blood of infected animals.
Experts warn that the virus can also be transmitted from person to person, including through sexual contact or through saliva and various bodily fluids.
symptoms
Early symptoms include fever, fatigue, weakness or general malaise, dizziness, muscle, bone or joint pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Life-threatening symptoms include bleeding under the skin or into internal organs or from the mouth, eyes, or ears, and nervous system dysfunction, with coma, delirium, and sometimes kidney, respiratory, and liverworts. failure.
routes of infection
Viral hemorrhagic fever is transmitted through contact with infected animals or insects. The viruses that cause infection live in many animal and insect hosts, and they often include mosquitoes, ticks, rodents or bats.
Some types of viral hemorrhagic fevers are transmitted by mosquito or tick bites, others are transmitted by contact with infected fluids, such as blood, saliva, or semen, and several other types can be transmitted by inhalation of droppings of infected rats.
And if you’re traveling to an area with a certain hemorrhagic fever, you can be infected without showing symptoms for some time, and it can take anywhere from two to 21 days for symptoms to appear, depending on the type of virus.
Prevention methods
If you live, work, or travel to areas where these diseases are common, protect yourself from infection by using appropriate protective measures when handling blood or body fluids, such as wearing gloves and eye protection. eyes and face.
Precautions also include caution when handling, disinfecting, and disposing of laboratory specimens and waste.
Although there is no specific treatment for most types of viral hemorrhagic fevers, the drugs “Ribavirin” and “Verazole” can help shorten the course of some types of infection and prevent complications in some case.
Some types of viral hemorrhagic fevers are dengue fever, Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and yellow fever.
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