Two Die of Mers Virus in Saudi ahead of Hajj

Mecca's Grand Mosque

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Two more Saudi Arabian citizens have died after contracting the Mers virus, the authorities announced, just days before an estimate two million people are expected to travel to the country for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The two men, aged 78 and 55, had also suffered from other chronic diseases, the Saudi ministry of health said on its website. But their deaths, which take the total number of victims to 58 worldwide, will do little to assuage fears that the huge gathering could increase the spread of the disease. The vast majority of cases of Mers have been in Saudi Arabia.

Last year a total of 3.2 million faithful, including 1.75 million foreigners, performed the pilgrimage to Mecca, Islam's holiest site. Those from abroad came from 190 countries. Riyadh expects fewer people this year for the event, which runs from Sunday until October 18, because it has reduced the quotas from each country by 20 per cent in response to building work currently taking place in Mecca.

Between 20,000 and 25,000 Britons are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. » | Harriet Alexander | Thursday, October 10, 2013