Journal of Tuberculosis Research

Volume 11, Issue 2 (June 2023)

ISSN Print: 2329-843X   ISSN Online: 2329-8448

Google-based Impact Factor: 0.62  Citations  

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

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DOI: 10.4236/jtr.2023.112008    96 Downloads   422 Views  
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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.

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Momenah, A. (2023) Assessment of Prevalence Group A Streptococci (GAS) Associated with Upper Respiratory Tract Infection among Hajj and Umrah Pilgrims. Journal of Tuberculosis Research, 11, 74-85. doi: 10.4236/jtr.2023.112008.

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