Cairo, May 15: Egypt today said it will quarantine
and examine its citizens returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca,
if swine flu appeared in Saudi Arabia before the Hajj season.
With swine flu reaching to as many as 33 countries,
concerns are growing over the spread of the H1N1 virus during
major congregations of people in Umrah and Hajj, the Muslim
pilgrimages to Mecca.
Egyptian Health Minister Hatem el-Gabli has said if
swine flu appeared in Saudi Arabia before the Hajj season,
those returning from the pilgrimage will be quarantined.
The minister said that in the current conditions, the
threat of swine flu is given to any people`s gathering
including Umrah and Hajj.
The Umrah (or the minor pilgrimage) represents a serious
problem ahead as its season starts from June 20 to early
October and from November one to mid January.
The timings are a cause of concern because the virus may
calm down for a while before striking hard in the fall, the
Minister was quoted as saying by the Middle East News Agency
(Mena).
About half a million Egyptians travel for Umrah in the
first 10 days of the month of Ramadan, he said, pointing out
that this might mean the infection might spread to millions of
people in less than a week.
Ramadan in 2009 will start from mid-August while the
Hajj will be performed in November.
A national plan had been prepared earlier to face any
potential epidemics by the Egyptian Health Ministry that has a
cumulative experience since the bird flu, el-Gabli said.
The plan includes supplying hospitals with medical
needs, raising awareness among citizens and compiling data on
the disease, he said.
The minister also said that the World Health
Organisation`s current pandemic alert reflects the
geographical spread of the virus, not its severity.
Bureau Report