Experts fear bird flu outbreak during Haj

Experts fear bird flu outbreak during Haj

Health experts fear the possibility of a bird flu epidemic as millions of pilgrims assemble in Makkah for the Haj likely to commence in January.

And they have every reason to be cautious. The fatal H5N1 bird flu virus has so far claimed 67 lives in five countries across Asia in the last couple of years. The nation with the world's biggest Muslim population, Indonesia, has registered seven fatalities.

Additional caution is needed to be exercised as Saudi has traditionally been at the receiving end of many disasters with cities Makkah, Medina and Jeddah having recorded massive number of plague, cholera and meningitis cases during the Haj in the past.

While it is yet to be scientifically proven that the human-to-human transmission of the virus is possible ala the normal seasonal flu does, experts have notified it could yet transmute into a form wherein it can be passed on from one person to the other. They feel the chances of virus metamorphosis could elevate in case some pilgrim infected with bird flu mixes around with people afflicted with seasonal flu in the vast gathering.

As the suspicions of a virus outbreak are increasing, the Saudi Arabian authorities are planning of a mass vaccination program to prevent cases of human flu in pilgrims, according to Amine Mishkhas, head of infectious diseases at the Health Ministry.

To unearth cases of virus infection, health centres have already been started in three principal cities like Jeddah, which is a chief entrance point for pilgrims.

Mishkhas revealed that they have spent 25 million riyals ($6.7 million) in the process of treatment and preventing of flu, in particular among ones who have been in direct contact with birds.

Sahal al-Sabban, a senior official at the Pilgrimage Ministry, also assured that only totally fit and healthy Muslims will be part of the Haj.

Didier Pittet, director of the Infection Control Programme at Geneva's University Hospitals, did commend the Saudi authorities for their concerted efforts to prevent any such misfortune. At the same time he was worried that despite all this, if people carrying bird flu and seasonal flu virus come in touch with one another, the situation might get very dodgy.

He made his views crystal clear stating that if human-to-human transmission is detected in any case; the Haj pilgrim should stand cancelled.

A grand gathering of close to 2.5 million Muslim devotees from 160 different countries assemble in Makkah every year to take part in one of the world's largest pilgrimage.