Crossing the Gulf of Aden: cutaneous infections in African migrant shipwreck survivors.

Skin and soft tissue infections were observed in migrants from Somalia who crossed the Gulf of Aden, crowded on a drifting boat for 14 days. Thirty-three percent of survivors of this hazardous journey had skin infections. Seven were hospitalized for severe Staphylococcus aureus cutaneous infections associated with intracellular dehydration. Migrants face infectious risks during their precarious travel, including severe cutaneous infections that require specific medical and surgical treatment by the emergency services.