Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Iraq.

BACKGROUND

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most common tick-borne viral disease worldwide. Its incidence has increased rapidly in the Eastern Mediterranean countries and has been endemic in Iraq since it was first identified in 1979.

AIM

To describe the sociodemographic, epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of CCHF patients in Iraq.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the national surveillance system of the Communicable Diseases Control Centre, Baghdad, Iraq, for the period 2021-2023. We included all confirmed cases and analysed the data using SPSS version 27.

RESULTS

A total of 986 cases of CCHF were identified during the period, mean age 36 ± 15.4 years, male 58.9%. The majority of cases were reported in the southern provinces and during the summer months. Animal contact was reported by 52.8% and slaughtering by 45.7% of the patients. Bleeding from injection site was observed in 26.6% of the patients, while 24.8% had ecchymosis. Case fatality rate was 16.8%.

CONCLUSION

The number of CCHF cases was very high during the study period. We recommend actions to intensify tick control in Iraq, including the control of slaughtering, movement of livestock in and out of Iraq, in addition to health promotion and health education activities especially among high-risk groups.