Cases of Rift Valley Fever reported in Kurdish north

Dahouk, Iraq Press, July 18 - A fresh outbreak of Rift Valley Fever has filled the nearly one
million inhabitants of the Kurdish province of Dahouk with alarm.

Fresh cases of the deadly disease have already been detected in humans in Dahouk. Last year
twenty confirmed cases were reported in the Kurdish region. Most of those infected died.

The disease leads to unexplained hemorrhagic fever in humans.

Medical sources said at least three fresh cases have been discovered so far. Signs and
symptoms of the disease also include low grade fever, abdominal pain, vomitting, diarrhea,
jaundice with liver and renal dysfunction.

Kurdish health authorities have mounted a comprehensive educational campaign to contain
the outbreak. Citizens are advised to only purchase meat sold at slaughter houses and avoid
contact with sick animals.

The number of animals carrying the disease is not known but if not contained it will
certainly have a devastating impact on the region's estimated three million animals.

But the panic-stricken citizens are avoiding animal meat altogether and opting for chicken
and fish whose prices have soared dramatically,.

No cases of the disease were reported in Iraq previously. The disease first surfaced last year
and the local medical establishment lacked the means and knowledge on how to deal with it.

The region also lacks both human and veterinary virology laboratories which are of
paramount importance in the fight against the disease. 
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