Health risks detailed ahead of Hajj in Saudi Arabia

6 July 2022

With the annual Hajj due to begin later this week, the ECDC has issued a timely reminder of the existing health-related concerns in the Kingdom: ongoing COVID-19, MERS-CoV (no cases recorded this year, 17 in 2021), schistosomiasis (north of Mecca/Medina, Jizan and the Red Sea Coast, urban areas low risk), endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis, and malaria (low risk in urban areas of Jeddah, Mecca, Riyadh, Medina, Taif). Health requirements for pilgrims are listed in detail by the Saudi Ministry of Health here. The ECDC notes, ‘As with other mass gathering events, the risk of communicable disease outbreaks is greatest for respiratory and food- and waterborne diseases.’ Read more

Affected Regions

Asia

Affected Countries