Eurosurveillance
Volume 20, Issue 35, 2015

Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus infection in undocumented migrants and refugees in southern Italy, january 2012 to june 2013 (Article) (Open Access)

Coppola N. , Alessio L. , Gualdieri L. , Pisaturo M. , Sagnelli C. , Caprio N. , Maffei R. , Starace M. , Angelillo I.F. , Pasquale G. , Sagnelli E.*
  • a Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy
  • b Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy, Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy
  • c Medical Center, Centro per la Tutela della Salute degli Immigrati, Naples, Italy
  • d Medical Center, Centro di Accoglienza ‘La tenda di Abramo’, Caserta, Italy, Infectious Diseases Unit, AORN Sant’Anna e San Sebastiano, Caserta, Italy
  • e Medical Center, Centro Sociale ex Canapificio, Caserta, Italy, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
  • f Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy, Medical Center, Centro Suore Missionarie della Carità, Naples, Italy
  • g Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy, Medical Center, Centro per la Tutela della Salute degli Immigrati, Naples, Italy
  • h Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy
  • i Department of Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
  • j Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy
  • k Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Second University of Naples, Italy, Infectious Diseases Unit, AORN Sant’Anna e San Sebastiano, Caserta, Italy

Abstract

Screening of undocumented migrants or refugees for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections has been offered free of charge and free from bureaucratic procedures since 2012 at four primary-level clinical centres in Naples and Caserta, Italy. Of 926 undocumented migrants and refugees visiting one of the primary-level clinical centres from January 2012 to June 2013, 882 (95%) were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), total hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) and antibodies against HCV and HIV. Of the 882 individuals enrolled, 78 (9%) were HBsAg positive, 35 (4%) anti-HCV positive and 11 (1%) anti-HIV positive (single infections); seven (1%) had more than one infection (three were HBsAg positive). Of the 801 HBsAgnegative patients, 373 (47%) were anti-HBc positive. The HBsAg-positivity rate was high (14%; 62/444) in individuals from sub-Saharan Africa and intermediate in those from eastern Europe (6%; 12/198), northern Africa (2%; 2/80) and Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (the ‘India-Pakistan area’) (3%; 4/126). Anti-HCV was detected in 9/126 (7%) individuals originating from the India-Pakistan area, in 12/198 (6%) from eastern Europe, in 17/444 (4%) from sub-Saharan and in 2/80 (2%) from northern Africa. The H BV, HCV and HIV infections in the undocumented migrants and refugees screened serve as a reminder to the Italian healthcare authorities to carry out extensive screening and educational programmes for these populations. © 2015 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

genetics genotype blood sampling Pakistan Europe, Eastern HIV Infections refugee Human immunodeficiency virus infection India virus DNA DNA, Viral Population Surveillance human epidemiology Refugees middle aged Hepatitis C virus Aged geographic distribution Eastern Europe Hepatitis B virus ethnology Human immunodeficiency virus Unsafe Sex screening Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction disease surveillance HIV Antibodies migrant Humans Adolescent Human immunodeficiency virus antibody male Emigrants and Immigrants female Africa questionnaire serodiagnosis prevalence isolation and purification immunoreactivity Article blood real time polymerase chain reaction major clinical study adult Africa, Northern sequence analysis age distribution hepatitis C antibody hepatitis B surface antigen Italy Hepatitis C Antibodies Hepatitis B Surface Antigens hepatitis B Seroepidemiologic Studies Hepatitis B Antibodies enzyme immunoassay hepatitis B core antibody Western blotting Hepacivirus reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction hepatitis B antibody hepatitis C health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84941253595&doi=10.2807%2f1560-7917.ES.2015.20.35.30009&partnerID=40&md5=8eab86e7c2f45c7f6976b9ef2380e0ea
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2015.20.35.30009
ISSN: 1025496X
Cited by: 41
Original Language: English