• UGI USER
  • Jun 08, 2024
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“HEALTH EXPERTS WARN OF H5N1 SPREAD DURING HAJ, BAKRID CELEBRATIONS”

Why in the news?

  • Health experts warn of the potential spread of the H5N1 avian flu virus during the Haj pilgrimage and Eid-ul-Adha celebrations, involving the sacrifice of millions of animals.
  • Concerns raised about the risk of transmission from animals to humans, particularly in community settings worldwide.
source:cdc

About Hajj Pilgrimage and Eid-ul-Adha celebrations:

Eid-ul-Adha:

  • Festival: Muslims celebrate with prayers, greetings, and gifts.
  • Tradition: Sacrifice sheep or goat, share meat.
  • Name: Known as Bakr-id due to goat sacrifice.

Hajj Pilgrimage:

  • The Hajj is a religious pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
  • Importance: It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, representing a central part of Muslim religious life.
  • Five Pillars: Shahada (Faith), Salah (Prayer), Zakat (Charity), Sawm (Fasting) and Hajj (Pilgrimage).
  • Timing: The Hajj occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah.
About H5N1 virus:

  • H5N1 is a subtype of the influenza A virus causing highly infectious avian influenza (bird flu) in birds.
  • Classification: Classified by surface proteins: 18 hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 neuraminidase subtypes (e.g., A(H1N1), A(H3N2)).
  • Origin: Descended from a 1996 outbreak in Guangdong, China, with a new version emerging in Europe in 2020, spreading rapidly worldwide.
  • Spread Factors: Possibly influenced by climate change, impacting bird behavior and interactions, and warmer sea temperatures affecting marine ecosystems.
  • Concern: H5N1 infection in humans can lead to severe disease with a high mortality rate; potential for the virus to mutate for easy human-to-human transmission poses serious public health risks.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/from-birds-to-animals-on-land-sea-whats-driving-the-deadly-strain-of-h5n1/

https://universalinstitutions.com/the-spread-of-avian-influenza/