Saudi Arabia has enforced stricter health precautions against spreading Ebola and MERS viruses as three million pilgrims from around the world flock Mecca for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage that began Thursday.

World health authorities have cautioned against the contagious respiratory viruses, prompting Saudi health officials to impose a ban on pilgrims coming from Ebola-stricken countries.

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About 7,400 Pilgrims from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have been rejected from performing the hajj this year to reduce the chances of spreading the virus, the Associated Press reported.

Nigeria, however, is an exception. Despite reports of Ebola cases in the country, Saudi officials have granted entry to 118,000 Nigerian pilgrims.

Authorities are making all foreign pilgrims to fill-up medical screening cards detailing their travels over the last three weeks.

Hospitals in Saudi Arabia have also set up surgery units and isolation rooms around Mecca in addition to deploying health officials to airports.

In King Abdulaziz International Airport, separate lounges are provided to isolate suspected Ebola patients.

Flights from countries where cases of Ebola have been diagnosed are also being closely monitored. A local Saudi newspaper has reported that airport health inspectors are double-checking incoming flights from the Congo and Kenya, including other countries affected by the outbreak.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized vigilance on the Middle East Respiratory Sydrome (MERS) following the announcement Wednesday that it is not an international health emergency, The New York Times said.

Since 2012, Saudi Arabia has diagnosed 750 cases of MERS, leaving nearly half of those stricken dead, BBC reported.

However, there apparently had been a decline in the number affected since WHO had only identified 15 cases from mid-August to late September. None were registered in Mecca, Jidda and Medina, the three places most visited by the pilgrims.

Hajj, or the holy pilgrimage to Mecca, is the Fifth Pillar of the Muslim faith. It is a five-day event performed at least once in an adult Muslim's life and is supposed to cleanse Muslims of their sins.

TagsMERS, Hajj 2014