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Category: Communicable diseases

• Author: Denise Rossato Silva 1, Fernanda Carvalho de Queiroz Mello 2, Fernanda Dockhorn Costa Johansen 3, Rosella Centis 4, Lia D’Ambrosio 5, Giovanni Battista Migliori 4
• Publication Date: 2023

Vulnerable populations, such as migrants and refugees, have an increased risk of tuberculosis disease, especially in the first years after arrival in the host country. The presence of migrants and refugees in Brazil exponentially grew over the period between 2011 and 2020, and approximately 1.3 million migrants from the Global South were estimated to be residing in Brazil, most of whom from Venezuela and Haiti. Tuberculosis control programs for migrants can be divided into pre- and post-migration screening strategies. Pre-migration screening aims to identify cases of tuberculosis infection (TBI) and can be carried out in the country of origin (pre-entry) or in the destination country (at entry). Pre-migration screening can also detect migrants at an increased risk of developing tuberculosis in the future. High-risk migrants are then followed up in post-migration screening. In Brazil, migrants are considered a priority group for the active search for tuberculosis cases. However, there is no recommendation or plan regarding screening for TBI in migrants and refugees. Ensuring prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for TBI and tuberculosis disease in migrant populations is an important aspect of tuberculosis control and elimination. In this review article, we address epidemiological aspects and access to health care for migrants in Brazil. In addition, the migration medical screening for tuberculosis was reviewed.

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Category: Communicable diseases

• Author: Agudelo Higuita, Nelson Iván; Franco-Paredes, Carlos; Henao-Martínez, Andrés F; Mendez Rojas, Bomar; Suarez, José Antonio; Naranjo, Laura; Algerb, Jackeline
• Publication Date: 2023

Human migration has shaped the distribution and patterns of infectious diseases transmission throughout history. Migration is one of the contributing factors that has played an important role in the dissemination of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum. Central America and Mexico are important transit points of an increasing migrant flow originating from countries where chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum and vivax are prevalent. Surveillance systems, as well as detection and diagnostic capacities in the Central American region, are limited. The additional challenges imposed by the increasingly mobile population in the region are creating the perfect scenario for the emergence or re-emergence of infectious diseases, such as the introduction of chloroquine-resistant malaria. The development and implementation of transborder, collaborative, and ethical migrant health initiatives in the region are urgently needed. The health of migrant people in transit during their migratory route is of our collective interest and responsibility; their exclusion from health programs based on their legal status contradicts international human rights treaties and is inconsistent with ethical global public health practice.

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Category: Communicable diseases

• Author: Amaku, Marcos; Massad, Eduardo; Simon, Sabrina
• Publication Date: 2023

Using a SEIRV-SEI model for humans and vectors, we applied numerical simulations to the scenarios: (1) migration from an endemic community to a disease-free host community, comparing the performance of Haemagogus janthinomys and Aedes aegypti as vectors; (2) migration through a transit community located on a migratory route, where the disease is endemic, to a disease-free one; and (3) effects of different vaccination rates in the host community, considering the vaccination of migrants upon arrival. Results show no remarkable differences between scenarios 1 and 2. The type of vector and vaccination coverage in the host community are more relevant for the occurrence of outbreaks than migration rates, with H. janthinomys being more effective than A. aegypti. With vaccination being more determinant for a potential outbreak than migration rates, vaccinating migrants on arrival may be one of the most effective measures against yellow fever. Furthermore, H. janthinomys is a more competent vector than A. aegypti at similar densities, but the presence of A. aegypti is a warning to maintain vaccination above recommended levels.

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Category: Communicable diseases

• Author: A. Rojas-Gulloso a , L. Sánchez-Lerma b , Marcela Montilla b , F. Morales-Pulecio c , E. Sarmiento-Rudolf c , Ricardo Tapia-Reales c
• Publication Date: September–October 2023

Human migration is an activity that affects society in economic and political aspects and as a social determinant because of its differential impact on individual's health. To describe the situation of health and infectious diseases of vertical transmission risk in migrant pregnant women from an area of the Colombian Caribbean from 2019 to 2021. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on pregnant irregular migrants in the Riohacha and Santa Marta municipalities in Colombia. Hemogram, uranalysis, toxoplasma, FTA-ABS, VDRL, rubella, hepatitis B, HIV (TORCHs), vaginal swab, basal glycemia, and transaminases, among other paraclinical tests, were done on pregnant women. Data was arranged, tabulated, and analyzed in SPSS v.23.0. A descriptive statistical analysis with measures of central tendency and dispersion for quantitative variables, and proportions analysis was done for qualitative variables. A total of 555 clinical records were analyzed. Of the infectious agents with a risk of vertical transmission, syphilis was the most frequent with 3.6%. Regarding toxoplasmosis, 2.5% were IgM-positive. 4.2% of the pregnant women had IgG antibodies against Rubella and 2 women showed antibodies against HIV. Our results reflect the need for the implementation of educational, prevention, and detection health programs with the aim to decrease the number of prenatal infections in the pregnant migrant population for preventing fatal complications both in mothers and newborns.

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