Riyadh, Sep 2 (IANS): Saudi Arabia has decided to stop issuing work permits to workers from Ebola-hit countries, including Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, an official said Tuesday.

The precautionary measure is part of a recommendation by foreign and health ministries to prevent the virus from entering the country, Xinhua reported citing the official.

On April 1, Saudi Arabia imposed a ban on Hajj and Omra visa issue for citizens of Guinea and Liberia.

The country registered its first suspected Ebola case last month.

Though the results of the blood tests were negative, the patient died of serious complications later.

The temporary suspension of labour visas will not affect the country's labour market since the number of workers from the three countries is very little, the official added.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO, the virus, for which there is no treatment or vaccine, has claimed 1,552 lives out of 3,069 reported cases, including 694 in Liberia, 430 in Guinea, 422 in Sierra Leone and six in Nigeria.