No contagious disease outbreak among Iranian pilgrims: Health official

'Representatives of Health Ministry based in the holy cities Mecca and Medina, who are specilists in infectious and contagious diseases, have not reported any possible outbreak of contagious diseases like cholera and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV),' Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization's Health Executive Assistant Taher Doroodi told Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

MERS was first reported in Saudi Arabia in 2012, but it has been reported in many other ccountries. Severe acute respiratory problems, fever and cough are among the main symptoms of the infectious disease.

Iranian pilgrims are diagnosed with no specific disease so far, he affirmed, saying that heats exhaustion and muscle cramps are their only prevalent problems.

He advised the pilgrims to avoid outdoor spaces during hours of extreme heat, and drink enough water.

Some 570 physicians including specialists of infectious diseases, Gynecologists, Neurologists, Orthopedists, Ophthalmologists and nurses, have been dispatched to Saudi Arabia to give medical services to Iranian pilgrims.

This year, 85,500 Iranian pilgrims in 600 groups are traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform the rituals of Hajj.

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