Saudi: 4 pilgrims die of swine flu before hajj

The World

Discussion

The Salem News has a real-name policy for commenting. Users may sign in using the Facebook Connect tool above the comments field. Once your first comment is posted by a moderator, all future comments will post automatically. If you prefer not to use Facebook, send an e-mail with your comments user name (which must be the same as your real name), city or town, street address and daytime phone number to comments@salemnews.com. A staff member will contact you directly to confirm your identity. It may take a day or two before you can post comments. Only your user name will be public. All users are required to follow our rules for commenting, which can be found here.

comments powered by Disqus

November 22, 2009

Anonymous The Salem News Sun Nov 22, 2009, 12:19 AM EST

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi health officials announced the first deaths from swine flu of this year's annual pilgrimage to Mecca, as four pilgrims succumbed to the disease soon after arriving in Saudi Arabia.

The Health Ministry said none of the victims had been vaccinated and all became sick within two to three days of arriving. Three of the victims were 75 years old, coming from Sudan, India and Morocco, and the fourth was a 17-year-old Nigerian.

The hajj, as the pilgrimage is known, is required of all able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime. It attracts about 3 million people from 160 countries and begins this year on Nov. 26, as the winter flu season approaches in the Northern Hemisphere.

The pilgrimage has also become a concern for world health officials because the massive numbers of people brought together from around the world has raised fears it could contribute to the spread of swine flu.

The H1N1 flu has killed 66 people in Saudi Arabia, and the government invited international experts, including some from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, in June to a conference to examine Saudi measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

The Saudi government has recommended the elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic diseases and children skip the hajj this year.

Other measures include thermal screening equipment at entry points to detect passengers with fevers, rapid reporting of illnesses from a network of hospitals and clinics back to the emergency operations center and special hospitals for quarantining those who catch the disease.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

The World

Search Results

Discussion

Saudi: 4 pilgrims die of swine flu before hajj

Site Map

Reader Access