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Pathogens
Special Issues
Infectious Diseases in Travelers and Immigrants
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Infectious Diseases in Travelers and Immigrants

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 9116

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anna Beltrame

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy
Interests: tropical diseases; travel-related infectious diseases; parasites; epidemiology; migrant health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Valentina Marchese

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
University Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases & WHO Collaborating Centre for TB/HIV and TB elimination, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
Interests: tuberculosis; coinfection TB/HIV; migrant health; tropical diseases; medical parasitology; schistosomiasis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is a pleasure to invite you to participate in this Special Issue, which aims to focus attention on infectious diseases in travelers and immigrants. Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically highlighted the correlation between travel and infectious diseases. International travel is a constantly growing and widespread phenomenon, as are migrations from endemic countries for neglected and tropical diseases, which can be imported and in some cases even established in non-endemic countries. Currently, few epidemiological data are available on imported diseases, which is probably also the consequence of a public health strategy that is not optimal for those at risk (travelers and migrants). Other possible reasons are the lack of knowledge of these diseases in clinical practice and the limited availability of diagnostic tools. In addition, there is a lack of data on the effectiveness of public health strategies for screening and linkage-to-care, particularly for chronic infectious diseases affecting migrants and long-term travelers.

In this Special Issue of Pathogens, we invite you to submit your contributions on any aspect related to epidemiology, clinical manifestation, diagnostics, management and public health interventions for travelers or immigrants with infectious and/or tropical diseases.

Dr. Anna Beltrame
Dr. Valentina Marchese
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tropical diseases
  • travel-related infectious diseases
  • immigrant health
  • human parasitosis
  • infectious diseases

Published Papers (4 papers)

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8 pages, 258 KiB  
Article
Screening of Schistosomiasis, Strongyloidiasis and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Nigerian Female Sex Workers Living in Rome
by Rosalia Marrone, Clarisse Merline Mekombi, Adela Baraghin, Bezualem Yigezu Borecha, Francesca Perandin, Andrea Ragusa, Dorothy Ukegbu Ashamole, Concetta Mirisola and Mbiye Diku
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 274; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens12020274 - 07 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1149
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Travelers and Immigrants)
9 pages, 676 KiB  
Article
ELISA Test Based on the Phenolic Glycolipid-I (PGL-I) of Mycobacterium leprae: A Reality of a Laboratory from a Non-Endemic Country
by Silvia Stefania Longoni, Anna Beltrame, Marco Prato, John Stewart Spencer, Nicolo Bergamaschi, Andrea Clapasson, Aurora Parodi, Chiara Piubelli and Francesca Perandin
Pathogens 2022, 11(8), 894; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens11080894 - 09 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
Background: Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, leading to disabilities if untreated. The ELISA based on phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I), or its synthetic version ND-O-BSA, is almost universally positive in multibacillary leprosy and thus extensively used in endemic [...] Read more.
Background: Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, leading to disabilities if untreated. The ELISA based on phenolic glycolipid I (PGL-I), or its synthetic version ND-O-BSA, is almost universally positive in multibacillary leprosy and thus extensively used in endemic countries. Household contacts with a positive antibody titer have ~6-fold higher probability to develop the disease than those with a negative titer. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of this ELISA in the setting of a non-endemic country. Methods: We calculate the cut-off using optimized O.D. thresholds, generated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis, testing 39 well-characterized sera obtained from lepromatous leprosy patients with strongly positive ND-O-BSAELISA titer and 39 sera from healthy non-endemic patients never exposed to M. leprae or M. tuberculosis. Indeed, we tested a second set of sera from suspected or confirmed leprosy or household contacts (SLALT group, n=50), and patients with tuberculosis (control group, n=40). Results: We detected 56.4% of SLALT and 22.5% of tuberculosis as positive, consistent with the literature. Conclusion: The ELISA based on ND-O-BSA may thus be considered a good option to be used in a non-endemic area as a screening tool in at risk population usually coming to our center. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Travelers and Immigrants)
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11 pages, 774 KiB  
Article
Fragmentation of Healthcare Services as a Possible Determinant of the Low Completion for the Tuberculosis Cascade of Prevention among Asylum Seekers: Results from a Prospective Study with Historical Comparison
by Valentina Marchese, Paola Zanotti, Claudia Cimaglia, Benedetta Rossi, Beatrice Formenti, Paola Magro, Maurizio Gulletta, Giovanna Stancanelli, Issa El-Hamad, Enrico Girardi, Daniela Maria Cirillo, Francesco Castelli and Alberto Matteelli
Pathogens 2022, 11(6), 613; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens11060613 - 24 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1496
Abstract
Background: Effective screening for tuberculosis infection (TBI) among asylum seekers (AS) is crucial for tuberculosis (TB) elimination in low incidence countries. Methods: We assessed the proportion of completion of the screening for TBI among asylum seekers with a centralized delivery method compared to [...] Read more.
Background: Effective screening for tuberculosis infection (TBI) among asylum seekers (AS) is crucial for tuberculosis (TB) elimination in low incidence countries. Methods: We assessed the proportion of completion of the screening for TBI among asylum seekers with a centralized delivery method compared to the decentralized model previously adopted in the study area (historical control). In the historical model (January 2017 to May 2018) screening of AS was performed at the arrival offering TBI testing (TST followed by IGRA among those positive), radiological investigation, treatment initiation and hospital referral, if needed, at three sites: migrant health clinic, pneumology clinic and infectious diseases department for active disease (decentralized model). In the study model (June 2018, centralized) all steps of screening were performed at a single site, at a minimum of 6 months after arrival. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis, with robust variance, was used to assess variables associated with the completion of screening for infection. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the diagnosis of TB infection. Results: The intervention approach was offered to 144 AS with an overall 98.6% proportion of completion (98.7% for those with a positive TST). In the historical screening model, 1192 AS were candidates for screening, which was completed by 74.5% of those who started it (44.7% for those resulted TST positive). Major losses (55%) were detected in the TST/CXR-IGRA sequential step, followed by the execution of TST test (25%). The ratio of screening completion was significantly higher in the intervention period (aIRR 1.78, 95% CI 1.68–1.88) and for AS coming from high incidence TB countries (aIRR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04–1.25). Screening after 6 months from arrival and age were associated with TB infection (2.09, 95% CI 1.36–3.2 and 1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.29). Conclusions: Screening for TBI can be improved by a centralized approach. Higher prevalence of TBI 6 months after arrival could reflect recent (either during travel or in Italy) acquisition of the infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Travelers and Immigrants)
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9 pages, 1935 KiB  
Case Report
Leprosy in an Adopted Woman Diagnosed by Molecular Tools: A Case Report from a Non-Endemic Area
by Anna Beltrame, Maria Concetta Fargnoli, Charlotte Avanzi, Laura Sollima, Elena Pomari, Antonio Mori, Silvia Stefania Longoni, Lucia Moro, Pierantonio Orza, Mary Jackson and Francesca Perandin
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 165; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens12020165 - 20 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4229
Abstract
Coupled with its rarity in non-endemic areas, the clinical heterogeneity of leprosy makes diagnosis very challenging. We report a diagnosis of multibacillary leprosy in a 22-year-old Indian woman, adopted at the age of 10 and living in Italy. The patient presented with painful [...] Read more.
Coupled with its rarity in non-endemic areas, the clinical heterogeneity of leprosy makes diagnosis very challenging. We report a diagnosis of multibacillary leprosy in a 22-year-old Indian woman, adopted at the age of 10 and living in Italy. The patient presented with painful skin lesions on the face, trunk, and lower and upper extremities, associated with dysesthesia and a motor deficit in her left leg following corticosteroid therapy interruption. Histopathology results from the skin lesions suggested leprosy, but no acid-fast bacilli were identified. Molecular biology in a center specializing in tropical diseases confirmed the diagnosis, allowing prompt and adequate treatment. Genotype analysis allowed the identification of a genotype 1D of M. leprae, facilitating the epidemiological investigation of the plausible infection origin. No resistances to rifampicin, dapsone, or ofloxacin were detected. Leprosy will continue to exist in high-income nations, and the incidence may rise over time due to increasing migration and globalization. CARE guidelines were followed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Infectious Diseases in Travelers and Immigrants)
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