{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,12]],"date-time":"2026-09-12T05:54:44Z","timestamp":1789192484406,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":58,"publisher":"American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Immigrants may be carriers of infectious diseases because of the prevalence of these diseases in their country of origin, exposure during migration, or conditions during resettlement, with this prevalence being particularly high in sub-Saharan Africans. We performed a retrospective review of 180 sub-Saharan immigrants screened for infectious diseases at an International Health Center from January 2009 to December 2012. At least one pathogenic infectious disease was diagnosed in 72.8% patients: 60.6% latent tuberculosis infection, 36.8% intestinal parasites (intestinal protozoa or helminths), 28.1% helminths, 14.8% hepatitis B surface antigen positive, 1.2% anti-hepatitis C virus positive, 1.2% human immunodeficiency virus\u2013positive, and 1.2% malaria. Coinfections were present in 28.4%. There was significant association between eosinophilia (absolute count or percentage) or hyper-IgE and the presence of helminths (<jats:italic>P<\/jats:italic> &lt; 0.001). Relative eosinophilia and hyper-IgE were better indicators of helminth infection than absolute eosinophilia, particularly for schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis. We found a high prevalence of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan immigrants, which could lead to severe health problems (in the absence of prompt treatment), representing a high cost to the public health system and possible transmission in the host country. Accurate screening and tailored protocols for infectious diseases are recommended in sub-Saharan immigrants.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.15-0583","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,2,16]],"date-time":"2016-02-16T03:34:05Z","timestamp":1455593645000},"page":"750-756","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":35,"title":["Infectious Diseases in Sub-Saharan Immigrants to Spain"],"prefix":"10.4269","volume":"94","author":[{"given":"N\u00faria","family":"Serre Delcor","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bego\u00f1a Trevi\u00f1o","family":"Maruri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antoni Soriano","family":"Arandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Isabel Claveria","family":"Guiu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hakima Ouaarab","family":"Essadik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mateu Espasa","family":"Soley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Israel Molina","family":"Romero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Carlos","family":"Ascaso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2795","reference":[{"key":"ref1","series-title":"Anuario estad\u00edstico de Espa\u00f1a, 2011","author":"INE","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref2","series-title":"EN 2014 casi se duplicaron los inmigrantes que entraron en Espa\u00f1a por el Sur de forma irregular","year":"February 6, 2015"},{"key":"ref3","series-title":"Curr Opin Infect Dis","first-page":"436","article-title":"Emerging clinical issues in refugees","volume":"22","author":"Stauffer","year":"2009"},{"key":"ref4","series-title":"TB in Vulnerable Populations","author":"ECDC","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref5","series-title":"Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"385","article-title":"A review of schistosomiasis in immigrants in western Australia demonstrating the unusual longevity of Schistosoma mansoni","volume":"78","author":"Harris","year":"1984"},{"key":"ref6","series-title":"Key Facts: Africa to Europe Migration","author":"BBC News","year":"2007"},{"key":"ref7","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"115","article-title":"Infectious diseases in immigrants from the perspective of a tropical medicine referral unit","volume":"69","author":"L\u00f3pez-V\u00e9lez","year":"2003"},{"key":"ref8","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"848","article-title":"Screening of imported infectious diseases among asymptomatic sub-Saharan African and Latin American immigrants: a public health challenge","volume":"92","author":"Monge-Maillo","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref9","series-title":"Emerg Infect Dis","first-page":"1745","article-title":"Imported infectious diseases in mobile populations, Spain","volume":"15","author":"Monge-Maillo","year":"2009"},{"key":"ref10","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"1277","article-title":"Screening for imported diseases in an immigrant population: experience from a teaching hospital in Barcelona, Spain","volume":"91","author":"Bocanegra","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref11","series-title":"Public Health Rep","first-page":"69","article-title":"Prevalence of tuberculosis, hepatitis B virus, and intestinal parasitic infections among refugees to Minnesota","volume":"117","author":"Lifson","year":"2002"},{"key":"ref12","series-title":"Diagnosis of Latent TB Infection","author":"CDC","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref13","series-title":"Hepatitis B","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref14","series-title":"Schistosomiasis","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref15","series-title":"Strongyloidiasis","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref16","series-title":"Local Transmission of Schistosoma haematobium in Corsica, France","author":"ECDC","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref17","series-title":"Clin Infect Dis","first-page":"8","article-title":"Advanced survey of tuberculosis transmission in a complex socioepidemiologic scenario with a high proportion of cases in immigrants","volume":"47","author":"Mart\u00ednez-Lirola","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref18","series-title":"Emerg Infect Dis","first-page":"1587","article-title":"Helminth-related eosinophilia in African immigrants, Gran Canaria","volume":"12","author":"Pardo","year":"2006"},{"key":"ref19","series-title":"Allergy","first-page":"409","article-title":"Geohelminth infections: a review of the role of IgE and assessment of potential risks of anti-IgE treatment","volume":"63","author":"Cooper","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref20","series-title":"J Infect","first-page":"1","article-title":"Eosinophilia in returning travellers and migrants from the tropics: UK recommendations for investigation and initial management","volume":"60","author":"Checkley","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref21","series-title":"Clin Mol Allergy","first-page":"3","article-title":"Regulation and dysregulation of immunoglobulin E: a molecular and clinical perspective","volume":"8","author":"Pate","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref22","series-title":"General Refugee Health Guidelines","author":"CDC","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref23","series-title":"Can Med Assoc J","first-page":"E824","article-title":"Evidence-based clinical guidelines for immigrants and refugees","volume":"183","author":"Pottie","year":"2011"},{"key":"ref24","series-title":"Clin Infect Dis","first-page":"833","article-title":"Infectious disease screening for refugees resettled in the United States","volume":"39","author":"Barnett","year":"2004"},{"key":"ref25","series-title":"Atencion Primaria Soc Esp Med Fam Comunitaria","first-page":"232","article-title":"Commentary: immigration, health status, and use of primary care services","volume":"40","author":"L\u00f3pez L\u00e1zaro","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref26","series-title":"Br Med Bull","first-page":"465","article-title":"Screening the returned traveller","volume":"49","author":"Churchill","year":"1993"},{"key":"ref27","series-title":"J Infect","first-page":"180","article-title":"Investigation of tropical eosinophilia; assessing a strategy based on geographical area","volume":"46","author":"Whetham","year":"2003"},{"key":"ref28","series-title":"Clin Infect Dis","first-page":"407","article-title":"Diagnostic significance of blood eosinophilia in returning travelers","volume":"34","author":"Schulte","year":"2002"},{"key":"ref29","series-title":"Drugs for Parasitic Infections","author":"The Medical letter","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref30","series-title":"Basic Laboratory Methods in Medical Parasitology","author":"World Health Organization","year":"1991"},{"key":"ref31","series-title":"Extranjeros en la Uni\u00f3n Europea y en Espa\u00f1a","author":"INE","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref32","series-title":"Parasit Vectors","first-page":"265","article-title":"Intestinal parasite infections in immigrant children in the city of Rome, related risk factors and possible impact on nutritional status","volume":"5","author":"Manganelli","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref33","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"657","article-title":"Intestinal parasites among African refugees resettled in Massachusetts and the impact of an overseas pre-departure treatment program","volume":"69","author":"Geltman","year":"2003"},{"key":"ref34","series-title":"New WHO Recommendations on Use of Commercial TB Interferon-Gamma Release Assays (IGRAs) in Low- and Middle-Income Countries","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref35","series-title":"Treatment of Latent TB Infection","author":"CDC","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref36","series-title":"Med Clin (Barc)","first-page":"7","article-title":"Tuberculosis screening program for undocumented immigrant teenagers using the QuantiFERON(\u00ae)-TB Gold In-Tube test","volume":"145","author":"Salinas","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref37","series-title":"Estimated TB Incidence Rates, 2013","author":"WHO","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref38","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"805","article-title":"The profile of health problems in African immigrants attending an infectious disease unit in Melbourne, Australia","volume":"80","author":"Gibney","year":"2009"},{"key":"ref39","series-title":"Recommendations for Identification and Public Health Management of Persons with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection","author":"CDC","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref40","series-title":"Vaccine","first-page":"2212","article-title":"Global epidemiology of hepatitis B virus infection: new estimates of age-specific HBsAg seroprevalence and endemicity","volume":"30","author":"Ott","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref41","series-title":"Emerg Infect Dis","first-page":"356","article-title":"Plasmodium falciparum in asymptomatic immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa, Spain","volume":"18","author":"Monge-Maillo","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref42","series-title":"Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"731","article-title":"Prolonged infection with Plasmodium falciparum in a semi-immune patient","volume":"85","author":"Krajden","year":"1991"},{"key":"ref43","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"161","article-title":"Post-arrival screening for malaria in asymptomatic refugees using real-time PCR","volume":"84","author":"Matisz","year":"2011"},{"key":"ref44","series-title":"Parasit Vectors","first-page":"98","article-title":"Changing trends in intestinal parasitic infections among long-term-residents and settled immigrants in Qatar","volume":"3","author":"Abu-Madi","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref45","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"386","article-title":"Risk of intestinal helminth and protozoan infection in a refugee population","volume":"73","author":"Garg","year":"2005"},{"key":"ref46","series-title":"Schistosomiasis","author":"CDC","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref47","series-title":"Clin Vaccine Immunol","first-page":"948","article-title":"Evaluation of eight serological tests for diagnosis of imported schistosomiasis","volume":"19","author":"Kinkel","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref48","series-title":"Schistosomiasis, Countries or Areas at Risk, 2014","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref49","series-title":"Emerg Infect Dis","first-page":"1812","article-title":"Establishment of Biomphalaria tenagophila snails in Europe","volume":"14","author":"Majoros","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref50","series-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis","first-page":"e2002","article-title":"The laboratory diagnosis and follow up of strongyloidiasis: a systematic review","volume":"7","author":"Requena-Mendez","year":"2013"},{"key":"ref51","series-title":"J Travel Med","first-page":"233","article-title":"Undiagnosed and potentially lethal parasite infections among immigrants and refugees in Australia","volume":"13","author":"Caruana","year":"2006"},{"key":"ref52","series-title":"Medicine (Baltimore)","first-page":"e43","article-title":"Relevance of eosinophilia and hyper-IgE in immigrant children","volume":"93","author":"Belhassen-Garc\u00eda","year":"2014"},{"key":"ref53","series-title":"Clin Infect Dis","first-page":"e48","article-title":"Cryptic parasite infection in recent west African immigrants with relative eosinophilia","volume":"46","author":"Carranza-Rodriguez","year":"2008"},{"key":"ref54","series-title":"PLoS One","first-page":"e0123140","article-title":"Evaluation of locally established references intervals for hematology and biochemistry parameters in western Kenya","volume":"10","author":"Odhiambo","year":"2015"},{"key":"ref55","series-title":"J Infect Dis","first-page":"1140","article-title":"Kinetics of intrahepatic hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific CD4+ T cell responses in HCV and Schistosoma mansoni coinfection: relation to progression of liver fibrosis","volume":"189","author":"Kamal","year":"2004"},{"key":"ref56","series-title":"Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis","first-page":"237","article-title":"Influence of prior HIV-1 infection on the development of chronic hepatitis B infection","volume":"19","author":"Gatanaga","year":"2000"},{"key":"ref57","series-title":"PLoS Negl Trop Dis","first-page":"e1581","article-title":"Is human immunodeficiency virus infection a risk factor for Strongyloides stercoralis hyperinfection and dissemination","volume":"6","author":"Siegel","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref58","series-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg","first-page":"191","article-title":"Decreasing intestinal parasites in recent northern California refugees","volume":"88","author":"Chang","year":"2013"}],"container-title":["The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/view\/journals\/tpmd\/94\/4\/article-p750.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/downloadpdf\/journals\/tpmd\/94\/4\/article-p750.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/downloadpdf\/journals\/tpmd\/94\/4\/article-p750.xml","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,7]],"date-time":"2024-08-07T22:10:03Z","timestamp":1723068603000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajtmh.org\/view\/journals\/tpmd\/94\/4\/article-p750.xml"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,6]]},"references-count":58,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4"},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4269\/ajtmh.15-0583","relation":{},"ISSN":["0002-9637","1476-1645"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0002-9637","type":"print"},{"value":"1476-1645","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,6]]}}}