The Ministry of Health said Saturday that four foreign pilgrims have died of swine flu. The first fatality was a 75-year-old Sudanese man in Madina, who had developed swine flu symptoms four days after arrival from Sudan. He was treated by the Sudanese medical Haj mission without consultation with the Saudi health authorities, said the ministry. He was referred to a hospital after his condition deteriorated. He was found to be suffering from acute pneumonia. The second case was a 17-year-old Nigerian girl who developed swine flu symptoms two days after her arrival from Cairo. She had hypoglycemia and suffered lung failure. She was rushed to the emergency and shifted to the ICU, but she could not recover. The third casualty was a 74-year-old Indian pilgrim admitted in Makkah hospital suffering from fever and bronchitis. The fourth and last case was a 75-year-old Moroccan woman who was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Earlier this week, the ministry had announced that 20 pilgrims had been diagnosed with the disease. The Saudi authorities have mobilized all resources to confront the threat of swine flu. Thermal cameras have been installed at air and sea terminals in Jeddah where most pilgrims arrive. Some 15,000 health workers are deployed, and hospitals have hundreds of extra beds to handle any increase in the number of swine flu cases.
