El-Kafrawy SA, Alsayed SM, Faizo AA, Bajrai LH, Ut. Genetic diversity and molecular analysis of human influenza virus among pilgrims during Hajj. Heliyon. 2023 Dec 2;10(1):e23027
The risk of transmission of respiratory tract infections is considerably enhanced at mass gathering (MG) religious events. Hajj is an annual Islamic MG event with approximately 3 million Muslim pilgrims from over 180 countries concentrated in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of influenza viruses circulating among pilgrims during the Hajj pilgrimage. We performed a cross-sectional analytical study where nasopharyngeal swabs (NPs) from pilgrims with respiratory tract illnesses presenting to healthcare facilities during the 2019 Hajj were screened for influenza viruses. Influenza A subtypes and influenza B lineages were determined by multiplex RT-PCR for positive influenza samples. The phylogenetic analysis was carried out for the hemagglutination (HA) gene. Out of 185 nasopharyngeal samples, 54 were positive for the human influenza virus. Of these, 27 were influenza A H1N1 and 19 H3N2, 4 were untypable influenza A, and 4 were influenza B. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the H1N1 and H3N2 strains differentiated into different and independent genetic groups and formed close clusters with selected strains of influenza viruses from various locations. To conclude, this study demonstrates a high genetic diversity of circulating influenza A subtypes among pilgrims during the Hajj Season. There is a need for further larger studies to investigate in-depth the genetic characteristics of influenza viruses and other respiratory viruses during Hajj seasons.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- Establishment of Swine Primary Nasal, Tracheal, and Bronchial Epithelial Cell Culture Models for the Study of Influenza Virus Infection 13 hours ago
- Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus infections in pinnipeds and seabirds in Uruguay: implications for bird-mammal transmission in South America 13 hours ago
- Development and evaluation of a multiplex real-time RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of H5, H7, and H9 subtype avian influenza viruses 1 days ago
- Evolutionary dynamics and comparative pathogenicity of clade 2.3.4.4b H5 subtype avian influenza viruses, China, 2021~2022 1 days ago
- Oxymatrine Modulation of TLR3 Signaling: A Dual-Action Mechanism for H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus Defense and Immune Regulation 2 days ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]