Lack of Zika Virus and Other Recognized Flaviviruses among the Mosquito Vectors during and Post the Hajj Mass Gathering

Saber Yezli, Muhammad Yasir, Yara Yassin, Afnan Almazrua, Tagreed Al-Subhi, Norah Othman, Abdiasiis Omar, Abdelmohsin Abdoon, Yousif Elamin, Abuzaid Abuzaid, Turki Bafaraj, Hassen Alzahrani, Sameer Almahmoodi, Hussam Alzahrani, Kingsley Bieh, Badriah Alotaibi, Anas Khan, Mohammed Alzahrani and Esam I. Azhar
Additional contact information
Saber Yezli: The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
Muhammad Yasir: Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 128442, Jeddah 21362, Saudi Arabia
Yara Yassin: The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
Afnan Almazrua: The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
Tagreed Al-Subhi: Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 128442, Jeddah 21362, Saudi Arabia
Norah Othman: Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 128442, Jeddah 21362, Saudi Arabia
Abdiasiis Omar: General Directorate of Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Diseases, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12613, Saudi Arabia
Abdelmohsin Abdoon: General Directorate of Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Diseases, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12613, Saudi Arabia
Yousif Elamin: General Directorate of Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Diseases, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12613, Saudi Arabia
Abuzaid Abuzaid: General Directorate of Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Diseases, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12613, Saudi Arabia
Turki Bafaraj: Vector-Born and Zoonotic Diseases Department, Public Health Administration, Ministry of Health, Makkah 24321, Saudi Arabia
Hassen Alzahrani: Department of Clinical Laboratory, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh 12372, Saudi Arabia
Sameer Almahmoodi: Vector-Born and Zoonotic Diseases Department, Public Health Administration, Ministry of Health, Makkah 24321, Saudi Arabia
Hussam Alzahrani: Vision Colleges, Faculty of Medicine, Alfarabi College, Riyadh 13226, Saudi Arabia
Kingsley Bieh: The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
Badriah Alotaibi: The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
Anas Khan: The Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12341, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Alzahrani: General Directorate of Vector-Borne & Zoonotic Diseases, Ministry of Health, Riyadh 12613, Saudi Arabia
Esam I. Azhar: Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 128442, Jeddah 21362, Saudi Arabia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: Makkah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), contains many of the world’s mosquito vectors of parasitic and arboviral disease and is the site of the Hajj mass gathering. As such there is a risk of exportation and globalization of vector-borne viruses, including the re-emerging Zika virus (ZIKV). There was international concern regarding the introduction of ZIKV to KSA and potential international spread of the virus following the 2016 Hajj which took place few days after the Rio summer Olympics at the height of the ZIKV pandemic. We aimed to detect flaviviruses, including ZIKV, circulating among mosquito hosts in the city of Makkah during and post the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage. Mosquitos (adults and larvae) were sampled from 15 sites in Makkah city during and post the 2016 Hajj and identified to species by morphological keys. Mosquitos were pooled according to date of collection, location, and species. A Pan-Flaviviruses RT-PCR assay that enables identification of 51 flaviviruses species and three tentative species was used to detect flavivirus RNA directly from mosquito homogenates. Between the 10 September and 6 October 2016, 9412 female mosquitos were collected. Of these, 81.3% were Aedes aegypti , 18.6% were Culex species, and 0.1% were Anopheles species. Of the total 493 mosquito pools generated, 242 (49%) were positive by the Pan-Flaviviruses primer set. Sequence analysis revealed that none of the mosquitos carried a pathogenic flavivirus, including ZIKV, but were infected with a novel insect-specific flavivirus. We found no pathogenic flaviviruses circulating in Makkah city during and post the 2016 Hajj and no evidence of introduction of ZIKV through the pilgrimage. Enhanced vector-borne diseases surveillance, prevention, and control are crucial in KSA especially during international mass gatherings such as the annual Hajj to prevent outbreaks and the spread of viruses with epidemic and pandemic potentials.

Keywords: vector-borne disease; Zika; flavivirus; mosquito; mass gathering; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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