A group of health experts from different continents have alerted the Muslim community across the world to enhance vigil against the possible spread of avian flu virus H5N1 during the Haj and Id-ul-Adha celebrations.
Id-ul-Adha or Bakrid is a festival of animal sacrifice and is celebrated by about two billion Muslims across the world. About four million Muslims will be performing Haj in Makkah, coinciding with the Id celebrations in the third week of June.
‘High risk’
“There is a risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus H5N1 transmission during the Haj pilgrimage and Id-ul-Adha, which would involve the sacrifice of approximately 143 million animals. The risk of transmission from animals to humans is high,” said N.M. Mujeeb Rahman, who co-authored a scientific article in Nature Medicine about the risks.
Dr. Rahman said that the detection of H5N1 in the U.S. dairy cattle, poultry in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe had resulted in over 800 human cases with half leading to death. “Two-thirds of these cases occurred in countries with large Muslim populations. The worldwide prevalence of the virus in animals is not fully known,” Dr. Rahman told The Hindu.
The team of experts who sounded the warning was led by Shahul H. Ebrahim from Mali. Apart from Dr. Rahman, the others in his team were Justin Wong from Brunei, Alimuddin Zumla from the U.K., Seif S. Al-Abri from Oman, Abdullah A. Al Rabeeah from Saudi Arabia, and Ziad A. Memish from the U.S.
Raises concern
The team raised more concerns about the animal sacrifices done in community settings across the world. “Although about three million animals are sacrificed at the Haj, the Saudi Project for Utilisation of Haj Meat has streamlined the ritual slaughter to reduce health risks by centralising the process and eliminating direct contact with animals for pilgrims.”
Dr. Rahman said that the risk in community settings worldwide would remain significant. “The mass importation and herding of animals create opportunities for viral adaptation and transmission. Every time the virus replicates in a person, there is potential for it to adapt to humans and gain features that enable human-to-human spread, as seen with COVID-19,” pointed out Dr. Rahman.
The Nature Medicine article emphasises the importance of a ‘One Health’ approach, integrating global health stakeholders to enhance surveillance and preparedness. This collaborative effort aims to mitigate the spread of H5N1 and other zoonotic diseases, safeguarding public health during such large-scale gatherings, said Dr. Rahman.
