OBJECTIVE To investigate whether or not Neisseria meningitidis was present in the throat of Kuwaiti pilgrims after returning from the Hajj. METHOD Throat swabs were taken from 177 participants 1 week after returning from the Hajj. The participants were asked about: associated medical conditions, meningococcal vaccination status and the intake of ciprofloxacin before leaving Mecca for Kuwait. ...

We determined the carriage rate of Neisseria meningitidis before and after hajj pilgrimage among a group (1) of 674 randomly selected Iranian pilgrims, and the effect of 500 mg of ciprofloxacin given 24 hours before return on the reduction of meningococcal carriers among another group (2) of 123 randomly selected Iranian pilgrims. Throat specimens taken 1 hour before departure on the hajj and i...

BACKGROUND Hajj is a mass gathering undertaken annually in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The 2009 Hajj coincided with both the pandemic influenza A/H1N1 2009 (A(H1N1)pdm09) and seasonal types of influenza A viruses. The interaction between pandemic influenza and Hajj could cause both a high level of mortality among the pilgrims and the spread of infection in their respective countries upon their return ...

Each year more than 2 million people from all over the world attend the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. At least 60% of them develop respiratory symptoms there or during outward or homebound transit [1, 2]. During recent interpandemic years, approximately 1 in 10 pilgrims with respiratory symptoms in Makkah have had influenza detected by polymerase chain reaction tests of respiratory samples [...

OBJECTIVE To determine the level of knowledge of healthcare workers (HCWs) towards preventive measures for communicable diseases among pilgrims, and to highlight the difficulties faced by HCWs in implementing preventive measures at entry point. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz International Airport Hajj Terminals in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during Hajj se...

BACKGROUND Approximately 80 000 Egyptians participate in Hajj pilgrimage annually. The purpose of this study was to estimate influenza virus and MERS-CoV prevalence among Egyptian pilgrims returning from Hajj. STUDY A cross-sectional survey among 3 364 returning Egyptian pilgrims from 2012 to 2015 was conducted. Nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) swabs were collected from all particip...

 Background: Every year more than 2 million people depart from Iran to Saudi Arabia for Hajj ritual which can be faced with some different diseases. There are not much information about frequencies and trend of diseases in Hajj. The main objective of this study was to determine the trend of prevalent diseases during five consecutive Hajj rituals among Iranian pilgrims. Methods: We est...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage among a cohort of pilgrims during 2004 Hajj season. METHODS Pilgrims attending the 2004 Hajj season were recruited and screened for carriage of MRSA. Standard microbiological techniques were used to screen for the presence of MRSA. RESULTS Out of 411 individuals screened, 85 (20.6%) were posi...

prolonged cough occurs in a large proportion of the 2 million pilgrims who participate in the annual hajj in saudi arabia. there is no unique cause for pilgrims’ respiratory involvement, but several studies suggest a high incidence of influenza as a cause of the disease. to determine influenza vaccine efficacy against respiratory disease in pilgrims, we conducted two similar cohort studies on 5...

Mass gatherings can be hazardous. Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is the largest annual mass gathering of humans, with more than 2 million people wearing specified garments, following prescribed religious rituals and fulfilling their religious obligations. There is a risk of communicable disease introduction, rapid amplification and, as pilgrims travel home, the potential spread into countries...