Ahead of Hajj, Saudis report 4 swine flu deaths

Saudi officials have announced that swine flu has claimed the lives of four pilgrims just three days before the Hajj pilgrimage is set to begin.

Each year some 3 million Muslims including 2 million pilgrims from different countries participate in the Hajj ritual in the holy city of Mecca.

Health officials are concerned about the spread of a new wave of the A/H1N1 virus by pilgrims traveling to and from Mecca during Hajj season. Many countries have, therefore, imposed strict traveling restrictions.

Health Ministry spokesman Khaled Mirghalani told al-Hayat newspaper on Saturday that four pilgrims had died of the new H1N1 flu virus.

A Nigerian teenager and three seniors from Sudan, India and Morocco are the victims of the fatal virus, the Saudi Health Ministry said.

"These cases were discovered too late," said Khaled Al-Marghalani, adding that some of the victims were extremely advanced in age while the others suffered from underlying chronic conditions.

A few months ago, a Pan Arab committee, aiming to contain the spread of the disease, decided to ban the participation of young children, seniors, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases in this year's Hajj.

Saudi officials, however, do not prohibit the entrance of anyone and have left the responsibility of the consequence to the countries of origin of the pilgrims.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=111903§ionid=3510212.