Mass Gatherings and Emerging Infectious Diseases: Monkeypox is the Newest Challenge

• Authors: Jaffar A Al-Tawfiq, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare; Rana F Kattan, College of Medicine-Riyadh; Ziad Memish, Emory University
• Journal Title: Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
• Volume: Volume 12, Number 3
• Publisher: Springer Nature | 2022-01-01, Pages 215-218
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-022-00059-z
• Subjects: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery
• Keywords: COVID-19; Hajj; Mass gatherings; Monkeypox; Religious events; SARS-CoV-2; Umrah; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Crowding; Humans; Islam; Mass Gatherings; Monkeypox; Saudi Arabia; Travel

Abstract

Mass gathering medicine had recently emerged as a new discipline to deal with possible health consequences during mass gathering events (MGs). These events may pose a great heath impact especially with the occurrence of infectious diseases outbreaks and possible occurrence of international spread [1, 2]. With the emergence or re-emergence of new infectious diseases with a possible pandemic potential, a risk assessment needs to be conducted prior to hosting any MG event to predict, mitigate and control the possibility of any propagation of the outbreak associated with MGs.