SAUDI Arabia is considering banning Nigerian pilgrims along with those from several other West African countries  from participating in the annual hajj to Mecca and Medina in a bid to forestall the spread of the ebola virus.
 
Over the last couple of months, about 1,300 people have been infected with the deadly ebola virus disease (EVD) currently sweeping across West Africa. Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia have been the worst affected countries, with almost 800 people dying from the virus that has a 90% casualty rate and no known cure.
 
However, the virus recently came to Nigeria after an American-born Liberian Patrick Sawyer attended an Ecowas conference in Calabar and subsequently died in Lagos. Among those who have since contracted the infection and died are the Nigerian doctor who treated him and there are now genuine fears that the virus could spread among Nigeria's 170m people.
 
Yesterday, Saudi officials tested a man for the infection after he returned recently from a business trip to Sierra Leone. According to local health officials, the Saudi  man in his 40s, was at a hospital in the city of Jeddah after showing symptoms of viral hemorrhagic fever, which resemble those of the ebola virus.
 
Saudi Arabia's health ministry said it had taken precautionary measures, including isolating the patient at a specialist hospital and sending blood samples to an international laboratory in coordination with the World Health Organisation (WHO) for further checks. Following the development, Saudi authorities said they could ban pilgrims from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia from performing this year’s hajj taking place in October.
 
This would involve their embassies suspending the issuance of visas to pilgrims from the affected West African countries for the annual hajj pilgrimage. About half of Nigeria's population is Muslim and the country provides one of the highest number of pilgrims to the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.
 
Ebola is one of the deadliest diseases known in humans with a case fatality rate of up to 90%. Last week, WHO's director general Margaret Chan, said that the virus was out of control but can be stopped with more resources and tougher measures.
 
She added that the outbreak is the worst since the virus was first discovered in 1976. At the moment, there are no effective treatments and no vaccine to protect against ebola, which is transmitted by direct contact with the blood or fluids of the infected, including the dead.
http://www.nigerianwatch.com/news/5015-saudi-arabia-considers-banning-nigerians-from-hajj-pilgrimage-in-bid-to-control-ebola

Ebola has now placed a stigma on us. Every country now detest us. Smh.

hahaha Lol, they no even send their book brothers that is fighting for the same region

Truth be told, they have to stop all west african countries from this haj, cos all ebola need na one allahakbar inside one big mosque, if the carrier just breath out or release one bad mess, the thing go spread wild fire.

But why can't they allow West African Countries including the viral infected people to come for Hajj so that the sickness can be cured in the Holy Land.

Ebola should also be part of sheitan that is meant to be pelt with stone.

Holy lands afraid of Ebola.

Where are your gods?

AlfaSeltzer: Holy lands afraid of Ebola.

Where are your gods?

Watching Imams boffing 9-year-old girls.