Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has killed nine people and infected 145 others across Iraq since the start of the year, Health Ministry spokesperson Saif Al-Badr said on Monday.

In a statement, Al-Badr added that the epidemiological update for week 23 recorded one death and 40 laboratory-confirmed infections. Dhi Qar accounted for more than half of the week's new cases with 21 infections, followed by Al-Muthanna with six. Basra recorded one death and three infections, while Maysan, Wasit, and Saladin reported two cases each. Baghdad Al-Rusafa, Nineveh, Diyala, and Babil recorded one case each.

The cumulative figures identified Dhi Qar as the country's main hotspot, recording 74 confirmed infections and six deaths since January.

Diyala recorded eight infections and one death, while Babil and Basra each registered one death alongside seven and six infections, respectively. Al-Muthanna reported 18 cases, followed by Maysan with nine and Wasit with seven. Baghdad Al-Rusafa and Nineveh recorded three cases each, while Karbala, Baghdad Al-Karkh, and Saladin reported two each.