ISIS as a Cause of Transboundary Diseases at Iran's Borders

Mehdi Khalaj, the head of the Veterinary Organization of the country, has reported that the borders of Iran have become 'unsafe' in terms of 'transboundary diseases' due to the presence of the 'ISIS' group in the region. According to a report on Saturday (December 19), Khalaj made this statement during a meeting of deputies and senior managers of the Ministry of Agriculture with Eshaq Jahangiri, the first vice president of Hassan Rouhani. He stated, 'With the formation of ISIS in the region, the borders of the country have become more unsafe regarding transboundary diseases.' This official added that the Veterinary Organization, with the 'limited facilities' at its disposal, does not have the capacity to effectively combat these types of diseases. Khalaj further mentioned, 'The Veterinary Organization of the country is facing serious shortages in providing health and safety for the most basic tools, and we even have difficulties in securing vaccines.' In another part of his remarks, the head of the Veterinary Organization discussed the possibility of outbreaks of 'brucellosis' and 'bovine tuberculosis' in Iran. Currently, Iran is grappling with a new wave of influenza that, according to official reports, has led to the deaths of at least 50 people in various cities across the country. The first reports of this new wave of influenza in Iran emerged with the return of Iranian pilgrims from the 'Arbaeen' ceremonies in Karbala, Najaf, and Samarra. As reported by some Iranian media, on December 2 of this year, over one million Iranians traveled to Iraq to participate in the 'Arbaeen' ceremonies, and some of them fell ill upon their return. Health officials have not yet disclosed the type and cause of the illness affecting these pilgrims and have not commented on the potential link between the new wave of influenza in Iran and the illnesses of pilgrims returning from Karbala. Currently, parts of Iraqi territory are under the control of the 'ISIS' group, and it was recently reported that this group has reached within 30 kilometers of Iran's borders. In the past two years, international media have published numerous reports about the spread of certain diseases in areas under the influence of the 'ISIS' group in Syria and Iraq.