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The hidden epidemic of schistosomiasis in recent African immigrants and asylum seekers to Italy

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Abstract

The prevalence of schistosomiasis among recent refugees from sub-Saharan Africa in Italy is unknown. This is a retrospective review of African immigrants screened at Centre for Tropical Diseases of Negrar from March 2014 to February 2016. Of the 373 immigrants tested, 34% were positive at least at one schistosomiasis test. The proportion of positive ELISA serology was 103/373 (27.6%). At microscopy, infected subjects were 65/373 (17.4%), (51% Schistosoma haematobium, 38% Schistosoma mansoni, 11% both). CCA antigen for S. mansoni was positive in 47/373 individuals (12.6%). We found a particularly high positivity rate in subjects from Mali (72.1%) and Ivory Coast (48%). This “hidden epidemic” of schistosomiasis cannot be longer neglected, considering the risk of severe complications, and the effective and inexpensive treatment available.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the colleagues of the parasitology laboratory for their high quality work and enthusiastic commitment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Tropical Diseases, Sacro Cuore Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024, Negrar, Italy

    Anna Beltrame, Dora Buonfrate, Federico Gobbi, Andrea Angheben, Valentina Marchese, Geraldo Badona Monteiro & Zeno Bisoffi

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  1. Anna Beltrame
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  2. Dora Buonfrate
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  3. Federico Gobbi
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  4. Andrea Angheben
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  5. Valentina Marchese
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  6. Geraldo Badona Monteiro
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  7. Zeno Bisoffi
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Correspondence to Anna Beltrame.

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Beltrame, A., Buonfrate, D., Gobbi, F. et al. The hidden epidemic of schistosomiasis in recent African immigrants and asylum seekers to Italy. Eur J Epidemiol 32, 733–735 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-017-0259-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-017-0259-6

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