Five succumb to H1N1 virus during Haj

Mina: The Saudi health minister said yesterday five people died from the H1N1 flu virus during the Haj, which as the largest annual gathering of people in the world is considered by health experts as an ideal incubator for the virus.

Speaking on the final day of the pilgrimage, Abdullah Al Rabe'ei said authorities recorded 73 cases — including the five deaths — of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, during the pilgrimage. He said only 10 per cent of the some 3 million pilgrims were vaccinated against the virus.

"Our safety precautions have secured a very successful and safe Haj for pilgrims from around the world with no infectious disease outbreaks," Al Rabe'ei said.

Saudi officials, along with American and international health experts, worked to curb any outbreak during Haj.

They also placed hand sanitiser dispensers on walls in the camps, near public bathrooms and at ritual sites, while pilgrims arriving at Saudi airports were scanned using a thermal camera and offered a free vaccine.

But authorities also are using the pilgrimage as a test case to build a database, watch for mutations and look for lessons on controlling the flu at other large gatherings like the 2010 soccer World Cup in South Africa.

Despite the relatively minor impact of the virus during the Haj, some experts warn it is likely spreading silently among pilgrims — and the true extent of the push that Haj has given to the virus won't be known until later, after the faithful have returned to their home countries around the world.

Al Rabe'ei brushed aside such concerns, saying pilgrims have been in the country for almost a month, far longer than the week-long incubation period. "They've had enough time to show symptoms of swine flu, and that hasn't happened," he said.