Iraqi MoH issues statement about hemorrhagic fever and Monkeypox

Shafaq News / The Iraqi Ministry of Health issued on Thursday the latest developments about hemorrhagic fever and Monkeypox in the country.

Member of the Ministry's medical team, Ruba Falah, told Shafaq News agency that a total of 98 cases of hemorrhagic fever were recorded in Iraq, noting that the number may increase in the coming days.

She added that having livestock in neighborhoods will help the virus spread, pointing out that hemorrhagic fever appears every year in Iraq but this year, a higher number of cases was recorded.

Regarding the Monkeypox virus, Falah indicated that it is transmitted through contact between animals, animals and humans, noting that there is no vaccine nor medicine to cure those who catch the virus.

High fever, muscle pain, swollen lymph glands, and the appearance of a rash, are the most prominent symptoms of the virus.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

Monkeypox primarily occurs in central and west Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas. Animal hosts include a range of rodents and non-human primates.