Suspected Saudi Ebola victim dies

A Saudi Arabian who had travelled to Sierra Leone and had symptoms similar to those found in Ebola sufferers died Wednesday of a heart attack, the health ministry said.

“The patient died of cardiac arrest, despite efforts by the medical team to resuscitate him,” the ministry website reported.

It added that the man will be buried in the Islamic manner, but under precautions laid down by the world health authorities.


The ministry did not reveal the results of tests carried out abroad on whether the patent had been suffering from the Ebola virus.

Since breaking out earlier this year, the tropical virus has claimed almost 900 lives and infected more than 1,603 people across West Africa.

The Saudi case was announced Tuesday by the health ministry, which said the patient had been quarantined in hospital in the Red Sea city of Jeddah.

He was admitted after showing symptoms of haemorrhagic fever upon his return from Sierra Leone.

In April, Saudi Arabia announced a ban on visas for Muslims from the three West African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone wishing to perform the pilgrimage to its Muslim holy sites.