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Elaf from London: With the escalation of infections and the occurrence of serious deaths from hemorrhagic fever in Iraq and the disease’s transmission from the south to the north of the country, the Ministry of Health announced measures to confront it and allocate isolation wards in hospitals.
With the announcement of the number of cases of the dangerous disease exceeding twenty-four injuries and four deaths, and its transmission to the north of the country, the Iraqi Ministry of Health has taken strict measures to confront it, especially with the lack of medicine to treat it, as it is limited to protection from it and work to prevent its transmission only.
isolation lobbies
In a circular to its hospitals across the country, which was reviewed by Elaf, the Ministry of Health directed the allocation of special isolation wards that contain intensive care supplies with its life-saving equipment and medicines, and to designate a medical and health angel who supported the work in these corridors.
The ministry stressed the need to adhere to the conditions of health prevention from acquired infections and to provide personal protective equipment while preventing entry to those halls, except for the staff designated to work in them.
The ministry also organized awareness campaigns in the governorates of the south of the country targeting butchers’ shops in the markets, emphasizing the need to adhere to preventive measures and to wear the recommended preventive medical equipment to prevent disease, as well as holding the butchers accountable for the necessity of having official holidays for their shops.
Disease transmission to the north of the country
And today, Sunday, it was announced in the northern province of Kirkuk that a case of hemorrhagic fever had been recorded.
The official spokesman for the province, Marwan Al-Ani, said in a statement that the governor of Kirkuk, Rakan Saeed Al-Jubouri, discussed with a number of officials’ efforts to prevent hemorrhagic fever and the measures to be taken to confront the disease.
The Iraqi Ministry of Health distributes information to the highest citizens regarding hemorrhagic fever disease (the Ministry)
Infections with the disease are on the increase
In conjunction with that, the Ministry of Health announced today that the number of cases of the disease has risen to 24 since the outbreak of the disease in the country was announced last week.
The Director General of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Riyad Al-Hilfi, indicated that the number of cases of hemorrhagic fever is still increasing, and the number has reached 24 cases so far. He explained, in a statement to the official agency, followed by “Elaf”, that “there are three measures to limit the spread of this first disease, which are the veterinarians carrying out extensive campaigns to spray pesticides in animal pens and the homes of the infected and their neighbors in contact, in addition to the process of picking up animals with pesticides”, indicating that “these measures are sufficient to By killing the vector insects, which are the tick, thus ending the transmission chain.
And he indicated that “the second measure falls on the shoulders of the Ministry of Interior to prevent the movement of animals from one governorate to another, as well as movement within one governorate in order not to spread the disease, while the third procedure stresses the prevention of random islands… stressing that this is one of the most important reasons for the transmission of the disease in addition to the importance of Educate all citizens regarding dealing with meat.
The health official called on housewives to “take preventive measures by wearing the paws first, beware of injuring the hand while handling meat, and refrain from touching the eyes during that, because it can be transmitted from the infected animal to the wound on the hand or through eye contact.”
Registration of deaths
And last Friday, Babil Governorate (100 km south of Baghdad) recorded the first death from hemorrhagic fever following four suspected cases of the disease appeared. Three negative and one positive cases appeared, which led to the death of the patient at Marjan Medical Hospital.
The southern province of Dhi Qar also recorded the highest cases of the disease, which led to the death of three people so far.
It is noteworthy that hemorrhagic fever is a viral disease transmitted through poultry and livestock to humans and then transmitted through infection from another person. The death rates for those infected with it are regarding 40 percent, according to the World Health Organization.
It is also an endemic viral disease due to infection with the Crimean-Congo fever virus, as it is present not only in Iraq but in the region in general, and limited infections are recorded annually for decades and may lead to deaths.
The people most affected by the disease are livestock breeders such as cows, sheep, goats and others, as well as workers in butcher shops (butchers). “But this does not mean that other groups cannot be infected, but rather the groups most in contact with the animal during its breeding, transportation, trading, or following slaughter are more vulnerable to infection.” .
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Information for the Iraqi Ministry of Health regarding hemorrhagic fever (the Ministry)
Transmission of infection.. and no medicine
An official in the Iraqi Ministry of Health indicated that “the most common means of transmission of the disease is through a vector, which is the tick, which sticks to the skin of livestock and can transmit the disease,” explaining that “this disease that is transmitted to humans can cause infection to another human being.” Through close contact with the patient or the patient’s tools.
He stressed, “there is no vaccine for this disease for humans or animals…” and “the primary symptoms of the disease are fever and sporadic pain in the body, and abdominal pain may be recorded”… and when “when the disease develops at a later stage, it may reach bleeding from the body openings such as Eye, ear or nose, in addition to serious complications that may lead to kidney failure, liver failure, failure of several organs in the body and may lead to death.
The Ministry of Health recommends paying attention to the rules of public safety, that is, the general health rules, especially the personal hygiene of livestock breeders, paying attention to the symptoms mentioned, and reviewing health institutions if they appear.