Association between Australian Hajj Pilgrims’ awareness of MERS-CoV, and their compliance with preventive measures and exposure to camels

Alqahtani, Amani S.; Wiley, Kerrie E.; Mushta, Sami M.; Yamazaki, Kaoruko; BinDhim, Nasser F.; Heywood, Anita E.; Booy, Robert; Rashid, Harunor

Through a prospective cohort study the relationship between travellers’ awareness of MERS-CoV, and compliance with preventive measures and exposure to camels was evaluated among Australian Hajj pilgrims who attended Hajj in 2015. Only 28% of Australian Hajj pilgrims were aware of MERS-CoV in Saudi Arabia. Those who were aware of MERS-CoV were more likely to receive recommended vaccines [odds ratio (OR) 3.1, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5–5.9, P < 0.01], but there was no significant difference in avoiding camels or their raw products during Hajj between those who were aware of MERS-CoV and those who were not (OR 1.2, 95% CI: 0.3–5.2, P = 0.7). Hajj pilgrims’ awareness is reflected in some of their practices but not in all.