G Martelli1, C Di Girolamo2, L Zammarchi3, A Angheben4, M Morandi5, S Tais6, M Degani6, I El Hamad7, S Caligaris8, A Ciannameo9, E Grilli10, L Urbinati8, G B Monteiro4, C Scarcella7, N Petrosillo10, M Digaetano11, L Rabbi12, N Bazzanini13, F Cacciatore9, B L Marta9, M L Moro5, A Bartoloni3, P Viale12, G Verucchi12. 1. Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: giuliamartelli84@gmail.com. 2. Centre for International Health, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Cancer Survival Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. 3. Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 4. Centre for Tropical Diseases, Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy. 5. Infectious Risk Area-Social and Health Agency of Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy. 6. Service of Epidemiology and Laboratory for Tropical Diseases, Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Verona, Italy. 7. Outpatient clinic for undocumented immigrants-Local Health Authority of Brescia, Italy. 8. Clinic of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy. 9. Centre for International Health, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 10. Clinical and Research Department, National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani", IRCCS-Rome, Italy. 11. Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Infectious Disease Clinic, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Polyclinic of Modena, Modena, Italy. 12. Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 13. Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Unit of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This multicentre cross-sectional study aims to estimate the prevalence of five neglected tropical diseases (Chagas disease, filariasis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis and toxocariasis) among immigrants accessing health care facilities in five Italian cities (Bologna, Brescia, Florence, Rome, Verona). METHODS: Individuals underwent a different set of serological tests, according to country of origin and presence of eosinophilia. Seropositive patients were treated and further followed up. RESULTS: A total of 930 adult immigrants were enrolled: 477 men (51.3%), 445 women (47.9%), eight transgender (0.8%); median age was 37.81 years (range 18-80 years). Most of them had come from the African continent (405/930, 43.5%), the rest from East Europe, South America and Asia, and 9.6% (89/930) were diagnosed with at least one of the infections under study. Seroprevalence of each specific infection varied from 3.9% (7/180) for Chagas disease to 9.7% (11/113) for toxocariasis. Seropositive people were more likely to be 35-40 years old and male, and to come from South East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa or South America. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study confirm that neglected tropical diseases represent a substantial health problem among immigrants and highlight the need to address this emerging public health issue.
OBJECTIVE: This multicentre cross-sectional study aims to estimate the prevalence of five neglected tropical diseases (Chagas disease, filariasis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis and toxocariasis) among immigrants accessing health care facilities in five Italian cities (Bologna, Brescia, Florence, Rome, Verona). METHODS: Individuals underwent a different set of serological tests, according to country of origin and presence of eosinophilia. Seropositive patients were treated and further followed up. RESULTS: A total of 930 adult immigrants were enrolled: 477 men (51.3%), 445 women (47.9%), eight transgender (0.8%); median age was 37.81 years (range 18-80 years). Most of them had come from the African continent (405/930, 43.5%), the rest from East Europe, South America and Asia, and 9.6% (89/930) were diagnosed with at least one of the infections under study. Seroprevalence of each specific infection varied from 3.9% (7/180) for Chagas diseaseto 9.7% (11/113) for toxocariasis. Seropositive people were more likely to be 35-40 years old and male, and to come from South East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa or South America. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study confirm that neglected tropical diseases represent a substantial health problem among immigrants and highlight the need to address this emerging public health issue.
Authors: José A Boga; Luis Casado; Jonathan Fernández-Suarez; Noelia Moran; Mercedes Rodríguez-Perez; María Martínez-Sela; Ana Pérez; Alicia Garcia-Perez; Candela Menendez; Sagrario Santos; Azucena Rodriguez-Guardado Journal: Am J Trop Med Hyg Date: 2020-04-23 Impact factor: 2.345
Authors: Gaetano Brindicci; Carmen Rita Santoro; Vittoriana De Laurentiis; Carmen Capolongo; Maria Elena Solarino; Roberta Papagni; Emanuela Ciracì; Pietro Gatti; Daniela Loconsole; Rosa Monno; Laura Monno; Giuseppe Miragliotta; Gioacchino Angarano Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2017-12-25 Impact factor: 3.411
Authors: Lilian Da Silva Santos; Hans Wolff; François Chappuis; Pedro Albajar-Viñas; Marco Vitoria; Nguyen-Toan Tran; Stéphanie Baggio; Giuseppe Togni; Nicolas Vuilleumier; François Girardin; Francesco Negro; Laurent Gétaz Journal: J Trop Med Date: 2018-11-06