The hajj is already notorious as a serious sniffle breeding ground. They've had plagues break out before.
Never mind sniffles, it's notorious for
deadly fires killing hundreds of worshippers at a crack and
epic scale stampedes which end with
thousands crushed to death, because despite having billions in oil money, the Sauds have the organizational ability of small children and the pilgrims, unsuprisingly enough, seem to be a hysterical bunch prone to panicking and running when they should be doing the opposite. Then there was that one year a
giant crane toppled over inside the Grand Mosque and crushed 111 people pancake-flat and hurt hundreds more. Also see
the deadly tunnel incident and
many, many more! Note the Saudi King's response to the pointless deaths of 1400 people in the tunnel in 1990 was to say it was "God's will, which is above everything ... had they not died there, they would have died elsewhere and at the same predestined moment." Hardly a cultural attitude that leads to progress in the areas of public health and safety.
Hajj may as well be Allah's sick prank on Muslims dumb enough to worship him and his prophet, the kiddiefucker. It's a strange year when he doesn't kill hundreds of them in some fucking stupid incident. Yet they still go in their millions, and drag their kids along for the ride.
ETA: Regarding disease, apparently meningitis outbreaks have been a major issue at Hajj in the past. Not suprising given the shitholes a lot of pilgrims come to KSA from:
"One such disease, which has prompted response from the Saudi government, is
meningitis as it became a primary concern after an international outbreak following the Hajj in 1987. Due to post-Hajj outbreaks globally of certain types of meningitis in previous years, it is now a
visa requirement to be immunised with the
ACW135Y vaccine before arrival. Every year, the Saudi government publishes a list of required vaccines for pilgrims, which for 2010 also included
yellow fever,
polio, and
influenza.
[25][26] "
Historical stuff:
"In 1905 the
El Tor strain of
cholera was discovered in six pilgrims returning from Hajj at the El-Tor quarantine camp in Egypt. It had began in the
Ganges Delta of the
Bengal region and traveled with
Muslim pilgrims to Mecca.
In its first year, the epidemic claimed the life of 30,000 of 90,000 pilgrims. Cholera spread throughout the
Middle East and was carried to
Russia,
Europe,
Africa and
North America. It resulted in the death of almost 600,000 people."
