Screening for infectious and neglected tropical diseases among newly arrived migrants from Africa and Asia: a retrospective study from Verona province, Italy.

Background: Migration to Europe has increased in recent years, with Italy serving as a major entry point. Ensuring adequate healthcare for newly arrived migrants includes the prevention and management of infectious diseases. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of selected infections among migrants in northern Italy.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study including newly arrived migrants screened at the Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology (DITM) of the IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella (Verona, Italy) between January 2023 and May 2024. Asylum seekers and undocumented migrants aged ≥ 14 years who had arrived within the previous six months from Africa or Asia were screened for tuberculosis (TB), HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), syphilis, strongyloidiasis, schistosomiasis, other intestinal helminthic infections, and filariasis. Diagnostic methods comprised serological, microscopic, molecular, and imaging techniques, applied as appropriate.

Results: Among the 674 migrants screened (median age: 25 years; 86.4% male), TB infection was detected in 25.4%, and 2.9% were diagnosed with TB disease. HIV prevalence was 1.5%, primarily among individuals from sub-Saharan Africa. Chronic HBV infection was identified in 6.1% of participants, while 55.1% were seronegative -i.e., negative for HBsAg, anti-HBs, and anti-HBc IgG- and thus eligible for vaccination. Helminthic infections were found in 12.3%, mainly strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis. Eosinophilia was present in 18.3% and was significantly associated with schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, and hookworm infection (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions: These findings underscore the consistent burden of infectious diseases among migrant populations and support the implementation of geographically tailored screening programs to improve early detection and public health outcomes.