Microbial surveillance of Hajj tents: Bioaerosol sampling coupled with real-time multiplex PCR.

Background: Respiratory tract infections are common among pilgrims attending annual Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims typically spend most of the Hajj period inside ventilated tents, where microorganisms may be transmitted through bioaerosols and droplets.

Objective: To perform microorganism surveillance inside Hajj tents and assess the similarities between microorganisms isolated from tent bioaerosol samples and nasopharyngeal swabs (NP) of tent occupants.