Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease
Volume 27, 2019, Pages 46-52

Occurrence of intestinal parasites among asylum seekers in Italy: A cross-sectional study (Article)

Fontanelli Sulekova L. , Ceccarelli G.* , Pombi M. , Esvan R. , Lopalco M. , Vita S. , Mattiucci S. , Gabrielli S. , Bellanca G. , Cavallari E.G. , Gangarossa G. , Kehbuma Dinga C. , Spaziante M. , Amato E. , Bujor M. , Dimitrova E. , Durante D. , Pereda Figueroa G. , Pinna N. , Velez L. , Walter I. , Sanitary Bureau of the Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto
  • a Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, 00185, Italy, Migrant and Global Health Research Organisation, Centro di ricerca sulla salute globale e delle popolazioni mobili (Mi-HeRO), Via del Pigneto 3, Roma, 00176, Italy, Sanitary Bureau of Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Via della Circonvallazione della Protezione Civile 1, Rome, 00100, Italy
  • b Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, 00185, Italy, Migrant and Global Health Research Organisation, Centro di ricerca sulla salute globale e delle popolazioni mobili (Mi-HeRO), Via del Pigneto 3, Roma, 00176, Italy, Sanitary Bureau of Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Via della Circonvallazione della Protezione Civile 1, Rome, 00100, Italy
  • c Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, 00185, Italy
  • d Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, 00185, Italy, Sanitary Bureau of Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Via della Circonvallazione della Protezione Civile 1, Rome, 00100, Italy
  • e Sanitary Bureau of Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Via della Circonvallazione della Protezione Civile 1, Rome, 00100, Italy, Auxilium Società Cooperativa Sociale, SenisePZ, Italy
  • f Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, 00185, Italy, Migrant and Global Health Research Organisation, Centro di ricerca sulla salute globale e delle popolazioni mobili (Mi-HeRO), Via del Pigneto 3, Roma, 00176, Italy, Sanitary Bureau of Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Via della Circonvallazione della Protezione Civile 1, Rome, 00100, Italy, Infectious Diseases Unit, Sapienza University, S. M. Goretti Hospital, Corso della Repubblica 79, Latina, 04100, Italy
  • g Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, 00185, Italy, Laboratory of Clinical Diagnostic Parasitology, “Umberto I” University Hospital of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, Rome, 00161, Italy
  • h Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, Roma, 00185, Italy, Laboratory of Clinical Diagnostic Parasitology, “Umberto I” University Hospital of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, Rome, 00161, Italy
  • i [Affiliation not available]
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Abstract

Background: In recent years Europe has experienced a dramatic increase in migration flows. Nevertheless, limited data is available about the occurrence of neglected parasitic diseases among migrant population. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal and urinary parasites in newly arrived asylum seekers. Methods: A total of 364 newly arrived migrants hosted at the Asylum Seekers Centre of Castelnuovo di Porto (Italy) were screened during 8 months period for intestinal and urinary parasites. Each enrolled subject was interviewed using a standardized questionnaire, with focus on socio-demographical data and risk factors of parasitic infections. Results: Stool analysis showed a prevalence of intestinal parasites of 20.6%. The travel route did not affect the prevalence of intestinal parasites (p = 0.096), while a significant negative correlation was found between the length of travel and the prevalence of parasite infection (p = 0.019). No statistically significant correlation between gastrointestinal symptoms and the presence of intestinal parasites was detected. Conclusion: The prevalence of intestinal parasitosis reported in asylum seekers does not necessarily reflect the prevalence of the parasitosis in the motherland. An anamnestic and syndromic approach may not be sufficient to highlight the problem of intestinal parasitic infestations in a screening setting. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd

Author Keywords

Italy Asylum seekers Helminths Parasitological survey Protozoa Prevalence

Index Keywords

parasitology Giardia intestinalis Strongyloides stercoralis Trichuris trichiura parasitosis refugee blastocystis human Refugees travel priority journal decreased appetite Humans migrant Adolescent male Schistosoma mansoni female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics hematuria questionnaire diarrhea prevalence isolation and purification Schistosoma haematobium Article major clinical study adult hookworm Child abdominal pain middle aged statistics and numerical data Aged intestine parasite Surveys and Questionnaires Young Adult Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study Infant, Newborn preschool child Infant Child, Preschool newborn Feces Trichuris intestine infection helminthiasis Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic mixed infection Entamoeba dispar Animals screening animal Endolimax nana Entamoeba coli Hymenolepis nana Italy intestine parasite mass screening Taenia saginata flatulence Trichuris trichiuria body weight disorder feces analysis Neglected Diseases Intestines anus pruritus Entamoeba Iodamoeba butschili Parasites urine sampling Chilomastix neglected disease asylum seeker gastrointestinal symptom
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85054423906&doi=10.1016%2fj.tmaid.2018.10.006&partnerID=40&md5=daa7944a814b95654633a6930001af2b
DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2018.10.006
ISSN: 14778939
Original Language: English