Western South Asia This section includes general information about health hazards as reported by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The region includes Bahrain, Cyprus, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The area ranges from the mountains and steppes of the north-west to the large deserts and dry tropical scrub of the south. The arthropod-borne diseases, except for malaria in certain areas, are not a major hazard for the traveler. Malaria does not exist in Kuwait and no longer occurs in Bahrain, Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, or Qatar. Its incidence in the Syrian Arab Republic and the United Arab Emirates is low, but elsewhere is endemic in certain rural areas. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is reported throughout the area; visceral leishmaniasis, although rare throughout most of the area, is common in central Iraq, in the southwest of Saudi Arabia, in the northwest of the Syrian Arab Republic, in Turkey (southeast Anatolia only) and in the west of Yemen. Murine and tick-borne typhus can occur in most countries. Tick-borne relapsing fever may occur. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever has been reported from Iraq. Limited foci of onchoceriasis are reported from Yemen. The foodborne and waterborne diseases are a major hazard in most countries. The typhoid fevers and hepatitis A exist in all countries. Schistosomiasis (bilharziasis) occurs in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Yemen. Dracunculiasis (guinea worm) infection is found in some of these countries. Taeniasis (tapeworm) is reported from many of the countries. Brucellosis is widespread and there are foci of echinococcosis (hydatid disease). Hepatitis B is endemic. The incidence of poliomyelitis is low in most countries of the area, with the exception of Yemen. Trachoma and animal rabies are found in many countries in the area. The greatest hazards to pilgrims to Mecca and Medina are heat and water depletion if the period of the Hajj coincides with the hot season.