Swine Flu in Mecca

Swine flu in Mecca? I don't think so. Why? Three of the four who died do not fit the profile of swine flu. They were elderly and one at least had a major pre-existing condition. Only the young girl from Nigeria fits the swine flu profile. But, even then, there is no laboratory confirmation of H1N1.

Earlier this year there were three confirmed cases in Egypt of a mixed infection of H1N1 and H5N1 (bird flu virus) which is very disturbing and dangerous. These three cases were in individuals who had just returned from Mecca. No further cases have appeared since then.

Saudi confirms four pilgrims die of swine flu
"Sunday, 22 November 2009 Elsa Baxter
H1N1 THREAT: Four pilgrims in Saudi Arabia to complete the hajj have died from swine flu, the Ministry of Health confirmed on Saturday.The first person was a 75-year-old Sudanese man, who developed H1N1 symptoms four days after arriving in Madinah. He was treated by the Sudanese medical hajj mission and then admitted into hospital, but his condition deteriorated, reported the Saudi Gazette.

The second case was a 17-year-old Nigerian girl, who developed swine flu symptoms two days after arriving from Cairo.
The third casualty was a 74-year-old Indian pilgrim admitted to Makkah hospital suffering from fever and bronchitis.

And the fourth person was a 75-year-old Moroccan woman already suffering advanced lung cancer.

The Saudi authorities have introduced a series of measures to prevent the spread of swine flu during this year’s hajj. Thermal cameras have been installed at air and sea terminals in Jeddah to measure arriving pilgrims’ temperatures. While 15,000 health workers have been employed and hundreds of extra hospitals beds set up.