BAGHDAD, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraq has recorded a sharp increase in Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) cases so far this year with over 200 cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

       Iraqi health authorities notified the WHO of 97 lab-confirmed cases and 115 suspected cases between Jan. 1 and May 22, according to a report published on the WHO website.

       So far 27 people have died, of whom 13 were lab-confirmed cases, the WHO said.

       The infections are much higher than that during the same period in 2021 when 33 lab-confirmed cases were recorded, the WHO said, warning that the outbreak in Iraq may pose additional pressure to the already over-stretched healthcare system.

       Iraq has issued stricter hygiene standards for livestock slaughterhouses, which ban the slaughter of livestock outside the designated places.

       On Saturday, the governor of Baghdad Mohammad Jaber Al-Atta announced the formation of a joint working group to curb the spread of the virus, including making urgent plans to raise public awareness of epidemic prevention.

       The virus is primarily transmitted via tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter, with the fatality rate can be as high as 40 percent, said the WHO.