Iran's health ministry is to ban Umrah Hajj pilgrimage due to the increasing number of Iranian pilgrims infected with the A/H1N1 virus.
The Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced that Hajj pilgrimage would be canceled in the holy month of Ramadan to avoid more infections and reduce the risk of catching swine flu.
Considering the growing number of infected cases in Saudi Arabia, certain clerics have warned individuals from attending this year's Hajj, saying those at high-risk of the disease can cancel their trip to Saudi Arabia.
Iranian health officials are planning to establish a checkup system for pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabi. The country's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization will also take special measures for the matter.
Some 85 confirmed swine flu cases have been reported in Iran, most of whom were among pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia. Travelers returning from Karbala, Syria, Turkey, Thailand, Singapore and England comprise the rest of the cases.
Iran's health ministry has also reported the country's first domestic cases, saying that some family members had contracted the disease from the infected cases who recently returned to the country.
Officials urge individuals to follow precautionary measures in order to tackle the spread of the virus in the country. They also recommend individuals to cancel unnecessary trips particularly those to the hot zones of the disease.
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