| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
This study analyzed the prevalence of intestinal parasitoses diagnosed shortly after arrival in the United States among African refugees before and after implementation of an overseas program of empirical treatment with albendazole. Variables included results of microscopy of a single stool specimen, age, sex, ethnicity, departure origin, and receipt of albendazole. Of 1,254 refugees, 56% had intestinal parasites. Fourteen percent had helminths, and 2% had multiple helminths. In addition, 52% had protozoans with 25% having multiple protozoans. The most common pathogens were Giardia lamblia (14%) and Trichuris trichiura (9%). Overall, refugees who arrived in Massachusetts after implementation of the treatment program were less likely to have any parasites (odds ratio [OR] =0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.47–0.78) and helminths (OR =0.15, 95% CI =0.09–0.24) than refugees who arrived previously. These more recently arrived refugees were also less likely to have hookworm (OR = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.00–0.29), Trichuris (OR = 0.05, 95% CI = 0.02–0.13), Ascaris (OR = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01–0.58), and Entamoeba histolytica (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.26–0.86). Empirically treating refugees prior to departure for the United States appears to have resulted in decreases in intestinal helminths and possibly some protozoans among African refugees tested shortly after arrival in this country.
Received April 7, 2003. Accepted for publication July 1, 2003.
Acknowledgments: We thank Dr. Susan Cookson (Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA) for her provision of information about the overseas treatment program and assistance in interpretation of the study findings and the staff of the Migration Health Services, International Organization for Migration in Africa.
Authors’ addresses: Paul L. Geltman and Jennifer Cochran, Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 305 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, Telephone (Geltman): 617-983-6593, (Cochran): 617-983-6596, Fax: 617-983-6597, E-mail: paul.geltman{at}state.ma.us. Cressida Hedgecock, Boston Public Health Commission AIDS Program, 774 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, Telephone: 617-534-4559, Fax: 617-534-2480.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  E. Meltzer, R. Percik, J. Shatzkes, Y. Sidi, and E. Schwartz Eosinophilia Among Returning Travelers: A Practical Approach Am J Trop Med Hyg, May 1, 2008; 78(5): 702 - 709. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. J. Shah, S. A. Maloney, Y. Liu, E. W. Flagg, S. P. Johnston, S. A. Young, R. Weston, S. Merritt, P. P. Wilkins, V. Keane, et al. Evaluation of the Impact of Overseas Pre-departure Treatment for Infection with Intestinal Parasites among Montagnard Refugees Migrating from Cambodia to North Carolina Am J Trop Med Hyg, May 1, 2008; 78(5): 754 - 759. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Franco-Paredes, R. Dismukes, D. Nicolls, A. Hidron, K. Workowski, A. Rodriguez-Morales, M. Wilson, D. Jones, P. Manyang, and P. Kozarsky Persistent and Untreated Tropical Infectious Diseases Among Sudanese Refugees in the United States Am J Trop Med Hyg, October 1, 2007; 77(4): 633 - 635. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. K. GARG, S. PERRY, M. DORN, L. HARDCASTLE, and J. PARSONNET RISK OF INTESTINAL HELMINTH AND PROTOZOAN INFECTION IN A REFUGEE POPULATION Am J Trop Med Hyg, August 1, 2005; 73(2): 386 - 391. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. EKDAHL and Y. ANDERSSON IMPORTED GIARDIASIS: IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL, IMMIGRATION, AND ADOPTION Am J Trop Med Hyg, June 1, 2005; 72(6): 825 - 830. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. L. Geltman and J. Cochran A Private-Sector Preferred Provider Network Model for Public Health Screening of Newly Resettled Refugees Am J Public Health, February 1, 2005; 95(2): 196 - 199. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
