The Haj season is around the corner. Muslims all over the world have started heading to Makkah to perform the Haj Regardless of whether they are poor, rich, weak, strong, white or black, they all get together and wear the same white uniform. Young Muslims usually have strong immune systems while the elderly, who are over 60, tend to have weak immune systems. Old people can easily be infected and immediately fall sick. Young Muslims usually do not get infections when performing Haj. A disease that has spread recently in some countries, including South America, is the Zika virus. A number of people in the US have shown symptoms of the Zika virus, which indicates that the disease has begun to spread there as well. The virus can be transmitted by mosquitoes or via sexual intercourse and can cause deformities to children such as microcephaly. The virus is related to dengue fever, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis virus and West Nile virus. It causes an illness similar to a mild form of dengue fever. It is spread mostly through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, which is aggressive and can bite during the day and the night. The virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus; an infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects. There is no vaccine or medicine for Zika. This means that if a pilgrim carrying the virus were to enter the Kingdom and the Haj sites, then he or she could potentially transmit the disease and spread it through mosquitoes. The Ministry of Haj should take all necessary preventive measures and work together with the Makkah Municipality to drain and dry out areas with standing water to minimize the number of mosquitoes which could spread the disease. All pilgrims should undergo thorough medical examinations to ensure that they do not have this virus.
