Iran warns about transfer of Coronavirus by pilgrims back from Mecca

The official said that since some of the Iranians injured in Mina during the tragic Hajj stampede have been cured in Mecca hospitals, there are risks of Coronavirus transfer to Iran after they return home.

He added that the Health Ministry has taken enough measures at the airports to prevent transfer of Coronavirus to Iran.

Saudi Arabia has warned Islamic pilgrims that they could be exposed to the coronavirus when they visit sites like Mecca.

Health officials in Saudi Arabia have asked pilgrims visiting its holy sites to wear masks in crowded places to stop the spread of the MERS coronavirus.

Up to 1,000 cases have been reported since the virus was identified in 2012, with up to 400 of them leading to death.

MERS, a respiratory disease which can cause severe pneumonia, was first discovered in September 2012 in a Qatari man who had traveled to the kingdom.

In addition to Saudi Arabia, which is worst hit by the virus, MERS has been reported in more than 20 other countries. Most of the reported cases have been linked to the Middle East. However, some Persian Gulf states, France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia and Britain have been also affected by the virus.

The disease, which causes coughing, fever and pneumonia, does not appear to be as contagious as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which infected over 8,000 people and killed about 10 percent of them more than a decade ago.

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