Crimean–Congo Fever Outbreak Kills 7 in Iran: Health Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The outbreak of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has killed seven people in Iran so far, a senior official at the Iran Veterinary Organization announced on Monday.
Karim Amiri said CCHF has become a permanent disease in Iran, adding that according to the latest data received by the organization, 56 cases of the disease have been reported so far, seven of which have been led to the death of the victims.
He went on to say that during the current Iranian year (which began on March 21), the number of deaths due to Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever has increased compared to last year.
Several people who died this year from the disease had already some other illnesses that led to the weakening of their immune systems, Karimi added.
In 2015, the disease took the lives of three people in Iran. It has also had a presence in neighboring Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
According to the World Health Organization, CCHF’s mortality rate is about 30 percent and is endemic to Africa, the Balkans and Ukraine, the Middle East and Central Asia.
CCHF was first detected in the Crimea in 1944 and then in the Congo in 1969. In 2011, it was detected for the first time in ticks in Spain.