PRO/EDR> Respiratory virus infections – Saudi Arabia: Hajj pilgrims 2012

Respiratory Illness — Worldwide/Unknown
Abstract: The Hajj is the oldest and largest annual mass gathering in the world and may increase the risk of spread of respiratory viruses. We performed a prospective survey among a cohort of pilgrims departing from Marseille, France to Mecca in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the 2012 Hajj season. Nasal swabs were collected from participants and tested for 11 respiratory viruses by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.
Of 165 participants sampled before departing