Iran’s Deputy Minister of Health announced 63 new cases of dengue fever, stressing that it is currently the country's most critical health issue.

On Tuesday, Saeed Karimi said that most patients are travelers from the Persian Gulf countries with seven provinces affected.

Last week, Iran’s Ministry of Health reported 138 cases of dengue fever identified over the past two months and warned of a potential outbreak in September and October. In June, the ministry also announced three deaths.

Iran is already facing a critical shortage of doctors and nurses in the healthcare system now battered by the country's economic crisis.

The first reported case of dengue fever in Iran occurred in 2008 in a patient who had traveled to Malaysia.