Pandemic H1N1 and the 2009 Hajj

摘要

The annual Hajj pilgrimage of more than 2.5 million pilgrims from more than 160 countries is held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (1) (see the figure). Hajj is a deeply spiritual journey undertaken by Muslims at least once in their lifetimes. Hajj-related infectious disease outbreaks in recent decades have focused attention on Hajj as a global public health security challenge of extraordinary dimensions (1-5).