Journal of Preventive Medicine and Hygiene
Volume 46, Issue 4, 2005, Pages 159-162

Seroprevalence for HIV and Treponema pallidum infection in an immigrants population in Verona area (Italy) (Article)

Majori S.* , Baldo V. , Malizia M. , Tommasi I. , Monteiro G. , Ferrari A. , Accordini A. , Guzzo P. , Baldovin T. , Trivello R. , Romano G.
  • a Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, University of Verona, Verona, Italy, Department of Medicine and Public Health, University of Verona (Italy), Istituti Biologici II, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy
  • b Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, University of Padua, Verona, Italy
  • c Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  • d Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
  • e Department of Tropical Diseases, Negrar Hospital, Verona, Italy
  • f Prevention Department Local Health Agency 20, Verona, Italy
  • g Clinical Analysis Laboratory, Hospital of Bussolengo, Verona, Italy
  • h Laboratory Department, Hospital San Bonifacio, Verona, Italy
  • i Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, University of Padua, Verona, Italy
  • j Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, University of Padua, Verona, Italy
  • k Department of Medicine and Public Health, Section of Hygiene, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of HIV and Treponema pallidum (Tp) antibodies among African immigrants living in the Verona area. Between March 2002 and May 2004, 161 immigrants were enrolled in the study, having given their informed consent and a personal epidemiological report. Each subject submitted to the necessary serological analyses to ascertain the prevalence of HIV and Tp infection. The prevalence of HBV (any marker) and HCV infection was also evaluated in HIV and Tp positive sera. Of the 161 subjects, 80% were male; the mean age was 31.7 ± 7.94 years; 38.5% of all subjects came from Nigeria. The prevalence of HIV infection was 3.7% (5 males and 1 female). Five males (3.1%) were Tp positive. One 37-year-old married male was positive for both HIV and Tp infection. The prevalence of HIV and Tp infection in the sample examined was higher than the estimated seroprevalence in the autochthonous population of the Veneto Region and Italy as a whole. This may be for various reasons, relating to the immigrants originating from areas where these infections are endemic, their life-styles and risk behavior, sexual and parenteral transmission, intravenous drug use (IVDU), or iatrogenic transmission in their home countries. The results of our study support the advisability of routine screening for immigrants with a view to assuring the early identification of infection and disease.

Author Keywords

Italy HIV treponema pallidum

Index Keywords

evaluation blood sampling immigrant lifestyle bacterial transmission Negro Human immunodeficiency virus infection sex ratio human screening test behavioral risk factor surveillance system sexual transmission Human immunodeficiency virus prevalence informed consent antibody detection Adolescent male female Infant newborn serodiagnosis Article major clinical study adult blood analysis bacterial infection infection risk endemic disease virus transmission Treponema pallidum Italy seroprevalence illegal immigrant intravenous drug abuse early diagnosis Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-38549093055&partnerID=40&md5=c7736927e78fdcf128a6f3e7ad5d24fe
ISSN: 11212233
Original Language: English