{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:51:28Z","timestamp":1760147488097,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]],"date-time":"2023-02-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1675728000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Italian Ministry of Health"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Female Sex Workers (FSWs) are at high risk for acquisition and transmission of sexually transmission infections (STIs). Although several studies investigated the diffusion of STIs in this population, none of them investigated the occurrence of helminth infections in FSW coming from endemic regions. This study aims to assess the prevalence of STIs and helminth infections in a cohort of FSWs. Method: authors conducted a prevalent, observational, and descriptive study on 97 Nigerian FSWs aged 17 to 52 years from January to December 2020. Results: a total of 97 FSWs were recruited. Of these, only 82 had completed screening for hepatitis B, C, syphilis, and HIV, while all 97 were screened for schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis. The prevalence of STIs among FSWs in Rome was lower than in other European countries. The overall prevalence of HIV and HBsAg were 1.2%, (1\/82) and 2.4% (2\/82), respectively, while no case of hepatitis C and syphilis was found. Regarding parasitological screening, the overall prevalence of schistosoma species was 4.1% (4\/97) while 5.15% (5\/97) were positive for strongyloidiasis. Conclusions: our study shows a low prevalence of STIs in Nigerian FSWs except for Hepatitis B and a higher prevalence of schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis. The permanent monitoring of STI and parasitic infections in sex workers coming from Africa is strongly warranted, especially for hepatitis B, schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis, to allow a timely diagnosis and treatment, and to plan preventive strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens12020274","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,8]],"date-time":"2023-02-08T02:29:08Z","timestamp":1675823348000},"page":"274","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Screening of Schistosomiasis, Strongyloidiasis and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Nigerian Female Sex Workers Living in Rome"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Rosalia","family":"Marrone","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Prevenzione Sanitaria, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), 00153 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Clarisse Merline","family":"Mekombi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Prevenzione Sanitaria, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), 00153 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Adela","family":"Baraghin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Prevenzione Sanitaria, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), 00153 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bezualem Yigezu","family":"Borecha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Prevenzione Sanitaria, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), 00153 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3933-3892","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Perandin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious\u2013Tropical Disease and Microbiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital, 37024 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Ragusa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infectious\u2013Tropical Disease and Microbiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital, 37024 Verona, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dorothy Ukegbu","family":"Ashamole","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Prevenzione Sanitaria, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), 00153 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Concetta","family":"Mirisola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Prevenzione Sanitaria, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), 00153 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mbiye","family":"Diku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Prevenzione Sanitaria, National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP), 00153 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"273","article-title":"Prevalence of STDs and HIV infection among immigrant sex workers attending an STD centre in Bologna, Italy","volume":"75","author":"Cocci","year":"1999","journal-title":"Sex. Transm. Inf."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.2174\/1874613601206010060","article-title":"Prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and hepatitis C in a survey of female sex workers in the north east of Italy","volume":"6","author":"Zermiani","year":"2012","journal-title":"Open AIDS J."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"IOM (2022, December 01). World Migration Report 2018. Available online: https:\/\/www.iom.int\/sites\/g\/files\/tmzbdl486\/files\/country\/docs\/china\/r5_world_migration_report_2018_en.pdf."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"437","DOI":"10.1111\/1467-9566.12201","article-title":"Stigma, sex work, and substance use: A comparative analysis","volume":"37","author":"Benoit","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sociol. Health Illn."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"188","DOI":"10.1093\/alcalc\/agp095","article-title":"Alcohol use among female sex workers and male clients: An integrative review of global literature","volume":"45","author":"Li","year":"2010","journal-title":"Alcohol Alcohol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1360-0443.2012.04016.x","article-title":"Factors associated with pathways toward concurrent sex work and injection drug use among female sex workers who inject drugs in northern Mexico","volume":"108","author":"Morris","year":"2013","journal-title":"Addiction"},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"INMP, ISS, and SIMM (2022, December 01). I Controlli Alla Frontiera. La Frontiera dei Controlli. [Border Checks Kept in Check. Health Checks and Protection Pathways for Migrants upon Arrival and While Hosted in Reception Centers]. Rome: Ministry of Health, Available online: http:\/\/www.salute.gov.it\/imgs\/C_17_pubblicazioni_2624_allegato.pdf."},{"key":"ref_8","unstructured":"ECDC (2022, December 01). Public Health Guidance on Screening and Vaccination for Infectious Diseases in Newly Arrived Migrants within the EU\/EEA. Available online: https:\/\/www.ecdc.europa.eu\/sites\/default\/files\/documents\/Public%20health%20guidance%20on%20screening%20and%20vaccination%20of%20migrants%20in%20the%20EU%20EEA.pdf."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2191","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2017.02191","article-title":"Molecular Biology Can Change the Classic Laboratory Approach for Intestinal Protozoan Infections","volume":"8","author":"Formenti","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"683","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-018-6137-7","article-title":"Improved detection of DNA Schistosoma haematobium from eggs extracted by bead beating in urine","volume":"118","author":"Pomari","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"759","DOI":"10.1177\/0956462413481526","article-title":"Epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections in global indigenous populations: Data availability and gaps","volume":"24","author":"Minichiello","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. STD AIDS"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2012-050491","article-title":"Systematic review examining differences in HIV, sexually transmitted infections and health-related harms between migrant and non-migrant female sex workers","volume":"89","author":"Platt","year":"2013","journal-title":"Sex Transm. Infect."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"219","DOI":"10.1590\/S0036-46652008000400006","article-title":"High prevalence of hepatitis B virus among female sex workers in Nigeria","volume":"50","author":"Forbi","year":"2008","journal-title":"Rev. Inst. Med. Trop. S\u00e3o Paulo"},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Mele, A., Tosti, M.E., Spada, E., Mariano, A., Bianco, E., and SEIEVA Collaborative Group (2022, December 01). Epidemiology of Acute Viral Hepatitis: Twenty Years of Surveillance throught SEIEVA in Italy and a Review of the Literature. Available online: https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/237538559_Epidemiology_of_acute_viral_hepatitis_Twenty_years_of_surveillance_through_SEIEVA_in_Italy_and_a_review_of_the_literature."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"180","article-title":"Prevalenza di patologie infettive e malattie sessualmente trasmesse in due differenti popolazioni di extracomunitari residenti in Palermo ed osservati nel quinquennio 2000\u20132004 [Infectious diseases and sexual transmitted diseases in two different cohort of extra communitarian people in Palermo (Sicily, Italy) from 2000 to 2004]","volume":"96","author":"Prestileo","year":"2005","journal-title":"Recenti Prog. Med."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1080\/09540121.2014.980214","article-title":"HIV risk among female sex workers with different patterns of drug use behaviors in Southwest China: A cross-sectional study","volume":"27","author":"Tang","year":"2015","journal-title":"AIDS Care"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"438","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dld.2018.09.008","article-title":"The present profile of chronic hepatitis B virus infection highlights future challenges: An analysis of the Multicenter Italian MASTER-B cohort","volume":"51","author":"Brancaccio","year":"2019","journal-title":"Dig. Liver Dis."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"62","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dld.2013.08.126","article-title":"Active recruitment strategy in disadvantaged immigrant populations improves the identification of human immunodeficiency but not of hepatitis B or C virus infections","volume":"46","author":"Stornaiuolo","year":"2014","journal-title":"Dig. Liver Dis."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1097\/00007435-199805000-00004","article-title":"A serosurvey of Haemophilus ducreyi, syphilis, and herpes simplex virus type 2 and their association with human immunodeficiency virus among female sex workers in Lagos, Nigeria","volume":"25","author":"Dada","year":"1998","journal-title":"Sex. Transm. Dis."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.1071\/SH07024","article-title":"Sexually transmissible infections among female sex workers: An international review with an emphasis on hard-to-access populations","volume":"5","author":"Cwikel","year":"2008","journal-title":"Sex. Health"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e006928","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2014-006928","article-title":"Risk perception of sexually transmitted infections and HIV in Nigerian commercial sex workers in Barcelona: A qualitative study","volume":"5","author":"Berenguera","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"233","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1708-8305.2006.00045.x","article-title":"Undiagnosed and potentially lethal parasite infections among immigrants and refugees in Australia","volume":"13","author":"Caruana","year":"2006","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e236","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(18)30490-X","article-title":"Prevalence of strongiloidiasis and schistosomiasis among migrants: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"7","author":"Bisoffi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"645","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.16-0923","article-title":"Evidence-Based Guidelines for Screening and Management of Strongyloidiasis in Non-Endemic Countries","volume":"97","author":"Buonfrate","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9","DOI":"10.2310\/7060.2005.00003","article-title":"Presentation and diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis: Relevance of eosinophilia, microscopy for ova, and serology","volume":"12","author":"Bierman","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Travel Med."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Knopp, S., Mgeni, A.F., Khamis, I.S., Steinmann, P., Stothard, R., Rollinson, D., Marti, H., and Utzinger, J. (2008). Diagnosis of soil-transmitted helminths in the era of preventive chemotherapy: Effect of multiple stool sampling and use of different diagnostic techniques. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis., 2.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pntd.0000331"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1240","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.21-0803","article-title":"Sensitive Diagnosis and Post-Treatment Follow-Up of Schistosoma mansoni Infections in Asymptomatic Eritrean Refugees by Circulating Anodic Antigen Detection and Polymerase Chain Reaction","volume":"106","author":"Hoekstra","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"546","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.13-0406","article-title":"Real-time polymerase chain reaction for detection of Schistosoma DNA in small-volume urine samples reflects focal distribution of urogenital Schistosomiasis in primary school girls in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa","volume":"90","author":"Pillay","year":"2014","journal-title":"Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"543","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cmi.2015.04.001","article-title":"Novel approaches to the diagnosis of S. stercoralis infection","volume":"21","author":"Buonfrate","year":"2015","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2253","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(13)61949-2","article-title":"Human schistosomiasis","volume":"383","author":"Colley","year":"2014","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Buonfrate, D., Requena-Mendez, A., Angheben, A., Mu\u00f1oz, J., Gobbi, F., Van Den Ende, J., and Bisoffi, Z. (2013). Severe strongyloidiasis: A systematic review of case reports. BMC Infect. Dis., 13.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2334-13-78"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"145","DOI":"10.1097\/01.idc.0000269904.90155.ce","article-title":"Association between schistosomiasis and cancer: A review","volume":"15","author":"Palumbo","year":"2007","journal-title":"Infect. Dis. Clin. Pract."},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"285","article-title":"Strongyloidiasis: Prevalence, risk factors, clinical and laboratory features among diarrhea patients in Ibadan Nigeria","volume":"39","author":"Oluwatoba","year":"2010","journal-title":"Afr. J. Med. Med Sci."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"939","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.00137-14","article-title":"Advances in the Diagnosis of Human Schistosomiasis","volume":"28","author":"Weerakoon","year":"2015","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Buonfrate, D., Marrone, R., Silva, R., Mirisola, C., Ragusa, A., Mistretta, M., Perandin, F., and Bisoffi, Z. (2021). Prevalence of Strongyloidiasis in a Cohort of Migrants in Italy and Accuracy of a Novel ELISA Assay for S. stercoralis Infection, a Cross-Sectional Study. Microorganisms, 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9020401"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101561","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tmaid.2020.101561","article-title":"Strategies for management of strongyloidiasis in migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa recently arrived in Italy: A cost-effectiveness analysis","volume":"36","author":"Zammarchi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Travel Med. Infect. Dis."}],"container-title":["Pathogens"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/12\/2\/274\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T18:27:26Z","timestamp":1760120846000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-0817\/12\/2\/274"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,2]]}},"alternative-id":["pathogens12020274"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/pathogens12020274","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-0817"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2076-0817"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,7]]}}}