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Saudi Arabia reports 1st H1N1 flu death

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-07-27 15:54

RIYADH: A Saudi man has died from H1N1 flu, the health ministry said on Monday, the first death in the kingdom which is gearing up to welcome hundreds of thousands Muslim pilgrims in September.

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The ministry said the man, who lived in the Eastern province, died on Saturday.

The ministry announced last week that it would stop publishing updates on the number of infections after they neared 300, but did not explain the move.

The new virus has killed more than 800 people worldwide since it emerged in April, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

WHO, which declared an H1N1 influenza pandemic on June 11, has described the new flu as the fastest-moving pandemic ever.