RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Saudi authorities are tightening health checks ahead of the haj amid fears about the global spread of bird flu.
Health Minister Hamed Al-Manae confirmed on Sunday that the 622,000 pilgrims who had arrived so far were clear of the virus.
Around 2.5 million Muslims from over 160 world countries head for the holy city of Mecca every year for the haj pilgrimage, one of the world's biggest religious rituals. Many come from Asian countries, where the deadly H5N1 form of bird flu has killed more than 70 people since 2003.
Saudi officials say the kingdom has spent $6.7 million to treat and prevent flu ahead of the haj season, especially among those in contact with birds, IslamOnline.com reported.
A Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman played down the concerns, the web site said. "Worrying is normal but that doesn't mean there are not enough procedures to prevent something like this," he said.
Didier Pittet, director of the Infection Control Program at Geneva's University Hospitals, has suggested calling off the haj over fears of an outbreak of a bird flu pandemic during the vast gathering, IslamOnline.com said.
