An outbreak of chickenpox in an asylum seeker centre in Italy: Outbreak investigation and validity of reported chickenpox history, December 2015

Eurosurveillance
Volume 22, Issue 46, 2017

An outbreak of chickenpox in an asylum seeker centre in Italy: Outbreak investigation and validity of reported chickenpox history, December 2015– May 2016 (Article) (Open Access)

Vairo F. , Di Bari V. , Panella V. , Quintavalle G. , Torchia S. , Serra M.C. , Sinopoli M.T. , Lopalco M. , Ceccarelli G. , Ferraro F. , Valle S. , Bordi L. , Capobianchi M.R. , Puro V. , Scognamiglio P.* , Ippolito G. , Outbreak Investigation Group , Charles K.-B.D. , Tognoni V. , Cuomo M. , Bellanca G. , Vita S. , Walters I. , Di Renzo V. , Papuzza I.C. , Leonardi M. , Dimitrova E. , Bujor M. , Sane-Schepisi M. , Lanini S. , Leone R. , Agresta A. , Nisii C. , Lalle E. , Felici L. , Abate I.

^a National Institute for Infectious Diseases INMI ‘L. Spallanzani’ IRCCS, Rome, Italy, Regional Service for Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Response (SERESMI), Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^b National Institute for Infectious Diseases INMI ‘L. Spallanzani’ IRCCS, Rome, Italy
^c Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^d Local Public Health Unit ASL Roma 4, Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^e Local Public Health Unit ASL Roma 4, Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^f Local Public Health Unit ASL Roma 4, Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^g Local Public Health Unit ASL Roma 4, Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^h Sanitary Bureau of Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Rome, Italy, Auxilium Società Cooperativa Sociale, Senise, Potenza, Italy
ⁱ Sanitary Bureau of Asylum Seekers Center of Castelnuovo di Porto, Rome, Italy
^j Regional Service for Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Response (SERESMI), Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^k Regional Service for Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Response (SERESMI), Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^l National Institute for Infectious Diseases INMI ‘L. Spallanzani’ IRCCS, Rome, Italy
^m National Institute for Infectious Diseases INMI ‘L. Spallanzani’ IRCCS, Rome, Italy
ⁿ National Institute for Infectious Diseases INMI ‘L. Spallanzani’ IRCCS, Rome, Italy, Regional Service for Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Response (SERESMI), Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^o National Institute for Infectious Diseases INMI ‘L. Spallanzani’ IRCCS, Rome, Italy, Regional Service for Infectious Diseases Surveillance and Response (SERESMI), Latium Region, Rome, Italy
^p National Institute for Infectious Diseases INMI ‘L. Spallanzani’ IRCCS, Rome, Italy
^q [Affiliation not available]
^r [Affiliation not available]
^s [Affiliation not available]
^t [Affiliation not available]
^u [Affiliation not available]
^v [Affiliation not available]
^w [Affiliation not available]
^x [Affiliation not available]
^y [Affiliation not available]
^z [Affiliation not available]
^a [Affiliation not available]
^b [Affiliation not available]
^c [Affiliation not available]
^d [Affiliation not available]
^e [Affiliation not available]
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^g [Affiliation not available]
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^j [Affiliation not available]

Abstract

An outbreak of chickenpox occurred between December 2015 and May 2016 among asylum seekers in a reception centre in Latium, Italy. We describe the epidemiological and laboratory investigations, control measures and validity of reported history of chickenpox infection. Serological screening of all residents and incoming asylum seekers was performed, followed by vaccine offer to all susceptible individuals without contraindication. Forty-six cases were found and 41 were associated with the outbreak. No complications, hospitalisations or deaths occurred. Serological testing was performed in 1,278 individuals and 169 were found to be susceptible, with a seroprevalence of 86.8%. A questionnaire was administered to 336 individuals consecutively attending the CARA health post to collect their serological result. The sensitivity, specificity and the positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV) of the reported history of chickenpox were 45.0%, 76.1%, 88.3% and 25.6%, respectively. We observed an increasing trend for the PPV and decreasing trend for the NPV with increasing age. Our report confirms that, in the asylum seeker population, chickenpox history is not the optimal method to identify susceptible individuals. Our experience supports the need for additional prevention and control measures and highlights the importance of national and local surveillance systems for reception centres. © 2017, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

urban area rural area aciclovir refugee Syrian Arab Republic predictive value Disease Susceptibility human Refugees travel statistics and numerical data chickenpox Arab ethnology Arabs asylum seeker Young Adult Humans male female Africa questionnaire contact examination sensitivity and specificity Disease Outbreaks Article epidemic disease control major clinical study adult seroepidemiology serology age Syria disease predisposition medical history chemiluminescence immunoassay Italy vaccination seroprevalence immune status Seroepidemiologic Studies chickenpox vaccine

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85034972555&doi=10.2807%2f1560-7917.ES.2017.22.46.17-00020&partnerID=40&md5=54f878a93a244bdf80ce122d0664e9b6

DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.46.17-00020

ISSN: 1025496X

Cited by: 3

Original Language: English