ArticleClinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases2015
Mass gathering and globalization of respiratory pathogens during the 2013 Hajj.
Article in Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
66 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 138 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of Face Mask for Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infection during Hajj: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2024Pooled it
- Travel-related respiratory symptoms and infections in travellers (2000-22): a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of travel medicine · 2023Pooled it
- Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza - United States, 2017.MMWR. Recommendations and reports : Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Recommendations and reports · 2017Guideline
- Asymptomatic Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection: Extent and implications for infection control: A systematic review.Travel medicine and infectious diseasePooled it
- Clinical respiratory infections and pneumonia during the Hajj pilgrimage: A systematic review.Travel medicine and infectious diseasePooled it
- A systematic review of emerging respiratory viruses at the Hajj and possible coinfection with Streptococcus pneumoniae.Travel medicine and infectious diseasePooled it
- Hajj-associated viral respiratory infections: A systematic review.Travel medicine and infectious diseasePooled it
- Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage and antibiotic susceptibility among Indonesian pilgrims during the Hajj pilgrimage in 2015.PloS one · 2021Trial
- Influenza Vaccination and Morbidity Among Sudanese Hajj Pilgrims During the 2025 Hajj.Vaccines · 2025Article
- Respiratory tract infections at the Grand Magal de Touba: a seven-year study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Changing Face of Helminth Infections: A 15-Year Temporal Analysis from Eastern Saudi Arabia.Infection and drug resistance · 2025Article
- Viral and bacterial microorganisms in Vietnamese children with severe and non-severe pneumonia.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Prevalence of emergency cases among pilgrims presenting at King Abdulaziz International Airport Health Care Center at Hajj Terminal, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia during Hajj Season, 1440 H - 2019.Dialogues in health · 2023Article
- Nucleocapsid single point-mutation associated with drop-out on RT-PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Article
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is Not Circulating Among Hajj Pilgrims.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2023Article
- Epidemiological Differences in Hajj-Acquired Airborne Infections in Pilgrims Arriving from Low and Middle-Income versus High-Income Countries: A Systematised Review.Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2023Review
- Article
- Diagnostic performance of an in-house multiplex PCR assay and the retrospective surveillance of bacterial respiratory pathogens at a teaching hospital, Kelantan, Malaysia.Pathogens and global health · 2023Article
- Article
- UEFA Euro 2020: lessons from the first multi-city international mass gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic.Epidemiology and infection · 2022Article
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Every year, more than 10 million pilgrims arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Hajj or Umrah. Crowding conditions lead to high rates of respiratory infections among the pilgrims, representing a significant cause of morbidity and a major cause of hospitalization. Pre- and post-Hajj nasal specimens were prospectively obtained from a paired cohort (692 pilgrims) and from nonpaired cohorts (514 arriving and 470 departing pilgrims) from 13 countries. The countries of residence included Africa (44.2%), Asia (40.2%), the United States (8.4%) and Europe (7.2%). Nasal specimens were tested for 34 respiratory pathogens using RT-PCR. A total of 80 512 PCRs were performed. The prevalence of viruses and bacteria increased, from 7.4% and 15.4% before the Hajj to 45.4% and 31.0% after the Hajj, respectively, due to the acquisition of rhinovirus, coronaviruses (229E, HKU1, OC43), influenza A H1N1, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Staphylococcus aureus. We did not identify Middle East respiratory coronavirus carriage. At arrival, the prevalence of several viruses was clearly dependent on the pilgrim's country of origin. After Hajj participation, these viruses were isolated among pilgrims from all countries, with few exceptions. No significant differences were observed between paired and nonpaired cohort results. Our results strongly suggest that, given the particularly crowded conditions during the rituals, an international mass gathering such as the Hajj may contribute to the globalization of respiratory pathogens after the cross-contamination of pilgrims harbouring pathogens that easily spread among participants. Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, face mask use and hand hygiene should be considered in the context of the Hajj.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.