"This is very unlikely to cause disease, but is a serious concern because these cultures are vital for research and public health work," the WHO said in a statement Thursday.

The WHO said its office in Baghdad had been looted and torched, all its vehicles had been stolen and most of its information documents destroyed.

Some hospitals in Baghdad were working up to a point, the United Nations body said, while hospitals in the northern town of Mosul were working at 50 percent capacity.

"Most of the health centres in Mosul are also reported to have been looted and burnt, as have the department of health offices and at least some of the warehouse facilities," the WHO said.

SPACE.WIRE