{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,3]],"date-time":"2026-08-03T14:33:29Z","timestamp":1785767609349,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770768000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"The &quot;Folkesundhed i Midten&quot; Foundation","award":["948"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["948"]}]},{"name":"The Kerrn-Jespersen Foundation","award":["0001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["0001"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Post-arrival screening for infectious diseases is routinely offered to newly arrived refugees in Denmark, including tests for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and syphilis. This study aimed to examine the cascade of care following positive screening results in a local cohort of refugees in Denmark, with a focus on subsequent clinical management, follow-up, and outcomes. (2) Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 1506 newly arrived refugees of all ages and countries of origin. All were offered a post-arrival infectious disease screening in Denmark. Clinical records were reviewed to assess progression through the cascade of care, including referral, evaluation, follow-up, and clinical outcomes among individuals with positive screening results. (3) Results: Of the 1506 screened refugees, 33 (2.2%) had at least one positive screening result. Among the 15 individuals with detectable hepatitis B surface antigen, six (43%) attended regular follow-up, while eight (57%) were lost during the cascade of care. Two participants screened positive for HCV antibodies; both underwent initial clinical evaluation, but their subsequent care trajectories differed due to repeated non-attendance or undocumented reasons. Only one participant with non-specific syphilis antibodies completed follow-up in accordance with national guidelines. One participant was diagnosed with HIV and successfully linked to care. (4) Conclusions: The prevalence of screened infectious diseases in this local Danish refugee cohort was low and consistent with findings from comparable settings. Although post-arrival screening facilitates the identification of infectious diseases, substantial loss to follow-up occurred after initial diagnosis, limiting the effectiveness of follow-up and treatment. These findings highlight the need for targeted, interdisciplinary strategies addressing organisational, social, and individual barriers to improve continuity of care following screening.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23020229","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T09:15:12Z","timestamp":1770801312000},"page":"229","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["The Cascade of Care for Infectious Diseases in Newly Arrived Refugees"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1278-9526","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mie Fryd","family":"Nielsen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang D3 og E, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"},{"name":"Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9601-4524","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jane","family":"Agergaard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang D3 og E, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2388-469X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rebecca Vigh","family":"Margolinsky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang D3 og E, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2770-8805","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Line","family":"Kibsgaard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatovenereology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 67, Indgang F, Plan 2, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9159-4056","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mette","family":"Holm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2874-9852","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anne Mette","family":"Hvass","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Social Medicine & Rehabilitation, Central Denmark Region, Regional Hospital G\u00f8dstrup, Hospitalsparken 15, 7400 Herning, Denmark"},{"name":"Clinic for Complex, Cross-Cultural Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2534-2942","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christian","family":"Wejse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, Indgang D3 og E, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"},{"name":"Clinic for Complex, Cross-Cultural Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark"},{"name":"Center for Global Health (GloHAU), Aarhus University, Vennelyst Blvd. 4, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"UNHCR (2025, December 01). 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