Mideast sees sixfold rise in swine flu deaths in eight days

by Joanne Bladd
on Sunday, 02 August 2009

FLU CHECKS: Less than a fifth of cases in the Middle East have been locally transmitted.

The number of people known to have died after contracting swine flu in the Middle East has increased six-fold in the last eight days, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed on Sunday.

Five people have died after testing positive for the H1N1 virus, bringing the region’s total death toll to six.

According to the health agency’s latest briefing note, the number of confirmed cases of swine flu across the region has leapt to 1,178, more than 470 of which have been diagnosed in the last eight days.

Only 299 of these cases had been locally transmitted, the WHO said.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as a particular hotspot for infections since a pandemic situation was declared, notching up and four H1N1 deaths.

The number of swine flu infections in the Gulf state has more than doubled in the last eight days, from 232 to 595 confirmed diagnoses.

Other badly hit areas include Egypt, which has 274 confirmed H1N1 cases, and Lebanon, which has 156.

Lebanon and Egypt have each registered one confirmed swine flu death. While Qatar has also recorded a swine flu death, this has yet to be confirmed by the WHO.

Within the GCC, Saudi has been the country worst hit, followed by Kuwait with 154 swine flu infections.

Comparatively, other Gulf states have fared well; Bahrain has notched up 83 swine flu cases, while the UAE has diagnosed 79. Both Qatar and Oman have less than 25 cases each. {close your borders}

The latest figures, however, may seriously underestimate the true toll of the diseases because not all swine flu cases are being picked up due to testing limitations.

However, the WHO has warned Middle Eastern residents against taking antivirals as a preventive measure, in a bid to limit the chance of infection.

The sharp increase in cases in Saudi Arabia is likely to reignite fears over the spread of the virus during the annual hajj and umrah pilgrimages.

The Kingdom is expected to receive more than three million people during the annual pilgrimages, potentially fuelling the spread of the deadly disease.

Arab health ministers have already called for a ban on children, the elderly and those with chronic medical conditions attending the pilgrimage in an effort to curb the infection rate.
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