The World Health Organization said yesterday that it is investigating a potential hemorrhagic fever outbreak near the Afghan-Iranian border.

Three Afghans from Zaranj in western Afghanistan have died at a hospital just across the border in Iran, and WHO spokeswoman Laurie Hieber-Girardt said two others are being treated for what is believed to be Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.  Those now in the hospital have been isolated, and the results of blood samples sent to France will be back today, the spokeswoman said.

The WHO learned of the outbreak Tuesday from Medecins Sans Frontieres doctors. Hieber-Girardt said yesterday that the patients had been infected as many as 10 days ago and that a WHO team is on standby to set up a quarantine in the affected area if the diagnosis is confirmed, which she called "likely."

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, which is spread through blood or saliva, kills at least 30 percent of those who contract it.  Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency said last month that the disease had killed 20 people since last year and infected 30 percent of that country's cattle (Ted Anthony, Associated Press/Yahoo! News, June 6).