Cholera in Saudi town

SAUDI Arabia has confirmed one cholera infection and three other suspected cases in an area bordering Yemen, where an epidemic has killed more than 2000 people.

Patients, identified only as non-Saudis, were receiving care at al-Mauwassem General Hospital in Jizan, about 1000km from Riyadh.

It is unclear if the outbreak is linked to Yemen or to last month’s Muslim Haj pilgrimage, which draws some 2 million foreigners each year, raising the risk of the spread of infectious disease.