Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you learn that a plague has broken out in a certain area, do not go towards it, and do not flee from it." And in another narration: "Through this affliction or disease, a group from the previous nations or the Children of Israel was punished, then it remained on the earth in some form; sometimes it would end and sometimes it would appear again. Now, if a person learns that this disease has come to a certain area, he should not go there, and whoever is already in that area should not leave it fleeing." This hadith is narrated from Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zaid, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, and Sayyiduna Abdur Rahman (may Allah be pleased with them) and others.