Egypt warns of swine flu threat to Mecca pilgrims

CAIRO - Egyptian Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali warned in a newspaper interview on Wednesday of the dangers posed by swine flu to millions of Muslim pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia.

The minister said the government could not bar Egyptian pilgrims from travelling because the decision had to be made by Muslim clerics, but that the authorities could quarantine returning pilgrims.

Gabali told the independent daily Al-Masri Al-Yom that "there is a large possibility" the A(H1N1) virus, which has killed 80 people and infected roughly 10,000 in 39 countries, may reach Egypt with returning pilgrims.

Egypt, which is culling the country's 250,000 pigs, has not recorded any cases of infection so far.

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