Prevalence of respiratory viruses among pilgrims in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj 2026: a cross-sectional study

Clicks: 14
ID: 332955
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #51 of 75 articles by views in international journal of travel medicine and global health

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
Abstract Background Hajj is one of the world's largest annual mass gatherings and provides favorable conditions for respiratory virus transmission because of intense crowding and extensive international travel. Contemporary post-pandemic molecular surveillance data remain limited. This study investigated the prevalence, determinants, and characteristics of respiratory virus detections among pilgrims during the 2026 Hajj season. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult domestic and international pilgrims over an extended peri-Hajj period (before, during and after Hajj) in the year 2026. Participants completed a structured questionnaire and provided combined nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab specimens for multiplex real-time RT-PCR detection of common respiratory viruses. A subset of positive samples underwent genomic sequencing for viral subtype and variant characterization. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with laboratory-confirmed respiratory viral infection. Results Among 412 enrolled pilgrims across all three phases, 58 (14.1%) tested positive for at least one respiratory virus. The prevalence of viral detection was 6.7% pre-Hajj, 16.0% during Hajj and 21.4% post-Hajj. Influenza A was the predominant virus (34.5%), followed by rhinovirus (24.1%), SARS-CoV-2 (20.7%), respiratory syncytial virus (13.8%), adenovirus (5.2%), and seasonal human coronaviruses (1.7%). Diabetes mellitus, chronic lung disease and smoking were independently associated with increased odds of respiratory virus detection. Conversely, receipt of pre-travel health advice, influenza vaccination and regular facemask use were independently associated with reduced odds of respiratory virus detection. Conclusions Respiratory virus transmission remains an important public health concern during Hajj. Strengthening pre-travel health advice, promoting influenza vaccination, and reinforcing personal preventive measures may reduce respiratory viral transmission during Hajj and other international mass gatherings.
Reference Key
openalex_W7222966296 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Najim Zafer Alshahrani, Abdulrahman M Albeshry, Zuhier Ahmed Awan, Harunor Rashid
Journal international journal of travel medicine and global health
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/jtm/taag093
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taag093
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.