title: Infections associated with religious rituals.
abstract: This review evaluates the medical literature for religious rituals or ceremonies that have been reported to cause infection. These include an ultra-orthodox Jewish circumcision practice known as metzitzah b'peh, the Christian common communion chalice, Islamic ritual ablution, and the Hindu 'side-roll'. Infections associated with participation in the Islamic Hajj have been extensively reviewed and will not be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1300 East Marshall Street, PO Box 980019, Richmond, VA 23298-0019, USA. Electronic address: jpelleri@mcvh-vcu.edu.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pellerin
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Edmond
mesh_terms: D002562:Ceremonial Behavior; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D012067:Religion
keywords: Circumcision; Culture; Infectious disease; Religion; Ritual