Ahl Masr Burn Hospital Concludes First Scientific Forum, Prepares for Expanded Second Edition in 2026    Egypt Tax Authority Standardises VAT Treatment for Exported Services, Issues Guidance    EGX ends week in green on 27 Nov.    Resilience, Innovation, and the Smart Home: Mohamed Ataya on GROHE's Strategic Vision for Egypt    Australia returns 17 rare ancient Egyptian artefacts    Asian stocks rise on Thursday    Oil prices dip on Thursday    Gaza death toll rises as humanitarian crisis deepens, Israeli offensive expands in West Bank    China's WINPEX to establish $15m lighting equipment plant in Ain Sokhna    Egypt expands rollout of Universal Health Insurance    Egypt's Al-Sisi links national progress to strict law enforcement, says society has role in reforming legal application    Cairo affirms commitment to Lebanese sovereignty, urges halt to cross-border violations    China invites Egypt to join African duty-free export scheme    Egypt, Algeria agree to deepen strategic ties, coordinate on Gaza ceasefire, regional crises    Egypt calls for stronger Africa-Europe partnership at Luanda summit    Egypt begins 2nd round of parliamentary elections with 34.6m eligible voters    Egypt warns of erratic Ethiopian dam operations after sharp swings in Blue Nile flows    Egypt scraps parliamentary election results in 19 districts over violations    Egypt extends Ramses II Tokyo Exhibition as it draws 350k visitors to date    Egypt signs host agreement for Barcelona Convention COP24 in December    Al-Sisi urges probe into election events, says vote could be cancelled if necessary    Filmmakers, experts to discuss teen mental health at Cairo festival panel    Cairo International Film Festival to premiere 'Malaga Alley,' honour Khaled El Nabawy    Cairo hosts African Union's 5th Awareness Week on Post-Conflict Reconstruction on 19 Nov.    Egypt golf team reclaims Arab standing with silver; Omar Hisham Talaat congratulates team    Egypt launches National Strategy for Rare Diseases at PHDC'25    Egypt adds trachoma elimination to health success track record: WHO    Grand Egyptian Museum welcomes over 12,000 visitors on seventh day    'Royalty on the Nile': Grand Ball of Monte-Carlo comes to Cairo    Egypt launches Red Sea Open to boost tourism, international profile    Omar Hisham Talaat: Media partnership with 'On Sports' key to promoting Egyptian golf tourism    Sisi expands national support fund to include diplomats who died on duty    Egypt's PM reviews efforts to remove Nile River encroachments    Egypt resolves dispute between top African sports bodies ahead of 2027 African Games    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Ramadan pilgrimage season in Saudi Arabia mostly free from MERS
Despite concerns prior to Ramadan due to crowds flocking to Mecca, very few MERS cases were detected
Reuters Published in Ahram Online on 04 - 08 - 2014

Saudi Arabia reported 10 confirmed new cases of a deadly respiratory disease during Islam's fasting month of Ramadan, and subsequent Eid al-Fitra holiday, after fears that an influx of pilgrims over the period might spread the infection more widely.
Notices of any new confirmed cases are published at the end of every day by the Health Ministry. Ramadan ended a week ago and the Eid al-Fitra holiday ran until late last week.
Hundreds of people were infected by Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the kingdom in April and May, raising concerns about the pilgrimage in Ramadan and during October's Haj, when millions of people will travel to Mecca and Medina.
MERS, which is thought to originate in camels, causes coughing, fever and pneumonia in some and has killed around 40 percent of people it has infected in the kingdom. Since 2012, when MERS was identified, Saudi Arabia has reported 298 deaths from the disease and 721 confirmed cases of infection.
This year and in 2013 there were outbreaks in April and May followed by a drop-off in new confirmed cases.
Of the people the Health Ministry confirmed were infected by MERS from the start of Ramadan on June 29 until the end of Eid al-Fitra, two were in Jeddah, the main arrival port for pilgrims and one was in the city of Taif near Mecca. Another MERS patient in Mecca, whose infection had already been confirmed, died of the disease.
The disease is thought to have an incubation period of around two weeks and testing by the authorities can take several days.
While all Muslims must try to make the annual Haj pilgrimage once in their lifetime, they are also encouraged to carry out the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina which can happen at any time of year, but is particularly popular during Ramadan.
For a second consecutive year, the authorities have said they will restrict Haj visas in 2014 for safety reasons connected to construction work aimed at enlarging the Great Mosque at Mecca. Saudi Arabia and the World Health Organisation have said they are imposing no travel or other restrictions due to MERS during the Haj, but have encouraged very young or old pilgrims, and those suffering from chronic disease, not to come this year.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/107689.aspx

Clic here to read the story from its source.