Saudi Gazette carries a Reuters report on the death of a young Egyptian woman, in Cairo, who died after contracting swine flu while performing Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage. The article notes that she had been in poor health prior to her pilgrimage, but that the A/H1N1 virus had been identified following tests.

This death certainly serves as an alert to both Saudi officials as well as Egyptian, the latter of which have advised Egyptian citizens that they might face quarantine upon return from Haj later this year.

Egyptian dies of H1N1 flu after Umrah

CAIRO – An Egyptian woman has died of the new H1N1 flu virus after falling ill while on Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, an Egyptian health ministry official said Sunday.

The official said the woman, who suffered from a pre-existing heart ailment due to rheumatic fever, had traveled to Saudi Arabia for the minor pilgrimage in early July, and developed flu symptoms on July 11.

She was treated in Saudi Arabia but did not respond to treatment, and returned to Egypt at the request of her husband. She was in her twenties.
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Gulf News is reporting that swine flu is affecting air travel between Europe and Saudi Arabia. The trouble seems to be at the Saudi end, where those who would normally travel to Europe or the US over the summer are changing their plans due to the presence of the flu. The article states that while travel to the West is down by as much as 50% for some airlines, it is actually up for travelers headed east—I’m assuming that this does not include the Philippines, which has had its own outbreak.

Swine flu hits Saudi air traffic to Europe
Abdul Rahman Shaheen, Correspondent

Riyadh: Air traffic from Saudi Arabia to the United States and Europe suffered a steep drop due to the outbreak of swine flu.

There has been a slump in reservations for most of the airlines flying to Western countries.

The beginning of summer vacation in the Kingdom was usually considered a bonanza season, generating huge revenues and profits for almost all the airlines.

This is due to the fact that a large number of Saudi families prefer to spend their vacations abroad.

But this time, most Saudis and foreigners prefer to avoid trips to those Western countries affected by swine flue, including the United States and a number of European states.
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Meanwhile, a Lebanese Shi’ite cleric has issued a fatwa excusing Muslims from performing Haj this year, due to the flu.

Haj can be skipped this year – cleric

Beirut (AP): Lebanon’s most influential Shiite cleric issued a fatwa on Sunday saying those who have serious concerns about contracting the H1N1 virus while performing the annual Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia may stay away this year.

Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Hussain Fadlallah, who is widely respected among Lebanon’s 1.2 million Shiites and many others in the Muslim world, said the entire pilgrimage should not be cancelled under any circumstances because it is a “divine duty”.
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