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https://doi.org/10.7326/M14-1305

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Assessment of Prevalence Group A Streptococci (GAS) Associated with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection among Hajj and Umrah Pilgrims

  AUTHORS: Aiman M. Momenah

  KEYWORDS: Respiratory Tract Infection, Pilgrims, Streptococcus Pyogenes

  JOURNAL NAME: Journal of Tuberculosis Research, Vol.11 No.2, June 25, 2023

  ABSTRACT: Background: Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is a prevalent infection across the world and is a major health concern linked to the crowding that occurs during the Hajj season. Objectives: To identify how prevalent Streptococcus pyogenes is among Umrah visitors and pilgrims by comparing its presence before and after the visitors perform Umrah and hajj. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on Umrah visitors/pilgrims, for which their throat swabs were taken for assessing the upper respiratory tract infection’s carriage rate, particularly of Group A streptococci (GAS), after they arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and Umrah rituals and befor their leaving. After collecting the swabs, they were inoculated on Columbia agar using 5% sheep blood and then incubated at 37˚C. VITEK 2 systems were used to identify the isolates. Results: Of the 979/613 Umrah visitors/pilgrims involved, before performing Umrah, their Streptococcus pyogenes percentage was 0.2% and it increased to 0.7 after performing Umrah. Further, the Streptococcus pyogenes percentage before and after performing Hajj was 0.3% and 1.1%, respectively. No statistical significance was found in the difference between the positive Streptococcus pyogenes found before and after performing Hajj and Umrah among Umrah visitors/pilgrims (p-value = 0.2). All bacterial isolates were found to be sensitive to Cefotaxime and Ceftriaxone antibiotics (100%). Conclusion: The Streptococcus pyogeneshigh resistance to antibiotics combined with the lack of a vaccine poses a serious risk concerning the resulting infection spread and emphasizes the necessity of ensuring greater global surveillance of such epidemics.