Reducing the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus H5N1 transmission during the Hajj

Nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide will celebrate the Festival of Sacrifice, Eid ul-Adha, during the third week of June 2024. During this festival, animals are sacrificed as part of a religious ritual, which could pose a risk for zoonotic transmission of the highly pathogenic influenza virus H5N1, recently identified in dairy cattle in the United States.