Giornale Italiano di Medicina Tropicale
Volume 15, Issue 1-4, 2010, Pages 21-27

Screening for tuberculosis among asylum seekers: Experience from an immigration centre in Central Italy and literature review (Article)

Pacifici L.E. , Riccardo F.* , Russo G. , Miccoli G.A. , Vullo V.
  • a Italian Red Cross Health Department, C.A.R.A. Centre of Castelnuovo di Porto, Rome, Italy
  • b Italian Red Cross Health Department, C.A.R.A. Centre of Castelnuovo di Porto, Rome, Italy
  • c University of Rome Sapienza, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Rome, Italy
  • d University of Rome Sapienza, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Rome, Italy
  • e University of Rome Sapienza, Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Rome, Italy

Abstract

Understanding the epidemiology of tuberculosis in migrant communities and designing adequate and comprehensive control strategies is a major challenge facing public health authorities in many low-prevalence countries. Asylum seekers are a particularly vulnerable subgroup of people who are required to live in hosting centres for several months waiting for their residence permit. Since September 2008, tuberculosis (TB) screening has been offered to all asylum seekers living in the hosting centre of Castelnuovo di Porto in Rome (C.A.R.A). This paper describes the results of this screening activity that aims to detect all asylum-seekers with active and latent TB infection, and provides an overview of the literature concerning TB screening among foreign-born people in low prevalence EU countries.

Author Keywords

Italy Asylum seekers tuberculosis Screening

Index Keywords

extrapulmonary tuberculosis sputum smear developing country human controlled study BCG vaccine screening test tuberculous lymphadenitis disease course tuberculous arthritis tuberculostatic agent male latent tuberculosis female tuberculosis diagnostic test accuracy study prevalence Article help seeking behavior major clinical study tuberculin test adult microbiological examination thorax radiography Italy
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79851489038&partnerID=40&md5=66f36ae8f4effbf39f795a4a9507bc38
ISSN: 03943445
Cited by: 2
Original Language: English