The hidden epidemic of schistosomiasis in recent African immigrants and asylum seekers to Italy

The prevalence of schistosomiasis among recent refugees from sub-Saharan Africa in Italy is unknown. This is a retrospective review of African immigrants screened at Centre for Tropical Diseases of Negrar from March 2014 to February 2016. Of the 373 immigrants tested, 34% were positive at least at o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of epidemiology 2017-08, Vol.32 (8), p.733-735
Main Authors: Beltrame, Anna, Buonfrate, Dora, Gobbi, Federico, Angheben, Andrea, Marchese, Valentina, Monteiro, Geraldo Badona, Bisoffi, Zeno
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Africa South of the Sahara - ethnology
Animals
Cardiology
Coastal environments
Emigrants and Immigrants - statistics & numerical data
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Epidemics
Epidemiology
Female
Humans
Immigrants
Infectious Diseases
Italy - epidemiology
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Oncology
Prevalence
Public Health
Refugees
Refugees - statistics & numerical data
Retrospective Studies
Schistosoma haematobium - isolation & purification
Schistosoma mansoni - isolation & purification
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis - diagnosis
Schistosomiasis - epidemiology
Serology
Tropical diseases
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Summary:The prevalence of schistosomiasis among recent refugees from sub-Saharan Africa in Italy is unknown. This is a retrospective review of African immigrants screened at Centre for Tropical Diseases of Negrar from March 2014 to February 2016. Of the 373 immigrants tested, 34% were positive at least at one schistosomiasis test. The proportion of positive ELISA serology was 103/373 (27.6%). At microscopy, infected subjects were 65/373 (17.4%), (51% Schistosoma haematobium, 38% Schistosoma monsoni, 11% both). CCA antigen for S. mansoni was positive in 47/373 individuals (12.6%). We found a particularly high positivity rate in subjects from Mali (72.1%) and Ivory Coast (48%). This "hidden epidemic" of schistosomiasis cannot be longer neglected, considering the risk of severe complications, and the effective and inexpensive treatment available.
ISSN:0393-2990
1573-7284
DOI:10.1007/s10654-017-0259-6