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Abstract

Screening of undocumented migrants or refugees for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections has been offered free of charge and free from bureaucratic procedures since 2012 at four primary-level clinical centres in Naples and Caserta, Italy. Of 926 undocumented migrants and refugees visiting one of the primary-level clinical centres from January 2012 to June 2013, 882 (95%) were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), total hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) and antibodies against HCV and HIV. Of the 882 individuals enrolled, 78 (9%) were HBsAg positive, 35 (4%) anti-HCV positive and 11 (1%) anti-HIV positive (single infections); seven (1%) had more than one infection (three were HBsAg positive). Of the 801 HBsAg-negative patients, 373 (47%) were anti-HBc positive. The HBsAg-positivity rate was high (14%; 62/444) in individuals from sub-Saharan Africa and intermediate in those from eastern Europe (6%; 12/198), northern Africa (2%; 2/80) and Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (the ‘India-Pakistan area’) (3%; 4/126). Anti-HCV was detected in 9/126 (7%) individuals originating from the India-Pakistan area, in 12/198 (6%) from eastern Europe, in 17/444 (4%) from sub-Saharan and in 2/80 (2%) from northern Africa. The HBV, HCV and HIV infections in the undocumented migrants and refugees screened serve as a reminder to the Italian healthcare authorities to carry out extensive screening and educational programmes for these populations.

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/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2015.20.35.30009
2015-09-03
2024-04-16
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2015.20.35.30009
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Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus infection in undocumented migrants and refugees in southern Italy, January 2012 to June 2013
<p class="citation"> <span>Citation style for this article:</span> <span class="meta-value authors"> <a href="/search?value1=Nicola+Coppola&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Coppola Nicola</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Loredana+Alessio&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Alessio Loredana</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Luciano+Gualdieri&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Gualdieri Luciano</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Mariantonietta+Pisaturo&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Pisaturo Mariantonietta</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Caterina+Sagnelli&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Sagnelli Caterina</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Nunzio+Caprio&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Caprio Nunzio</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Rita+Maffei&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Maffei Rita</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Mario+Starace&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Starace Mario</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Italo+Francesco+Angelillo&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Angelillo Italo Francesco</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Giuseppe+Pasquale&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Pasquale Giuseppe</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Evangelista+Sagnelli&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Sagnelli Evangelista</a></span>. Hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus infection in undocumented migrants and refugees in southern Italy, January 2012 to June 2013. <a href="/content/ecdc">Euro Surveill.</a> 2015;20(35):pii=30009. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2015.20.35.30009" title="doi link" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2015.20.35.30009</a> <span class="ES_Article_citation"> <span class="generated">Received</span>: 21 Jul 2014;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="generated">Accepted</span>: 02 Feb 2015 </span> </p>
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