AJTMH Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
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Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 80(5), 2009, pp. 805-811
Copyright © 2009 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

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The Profile of Health Problems in African Immigrants Attending an Infectious Disease Unit in Melbourne, Australia

Katherine B. Gibney, Seema Mihrshahi, Joseph Torresi, Caroline Marshall, Karin Leder, AND Beverley-Ann Biggs*
Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia; Department of Medicine (RMH/WH), University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Infectious Diseases (CCREID), University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria, Australia

The number of African immigrants living in Western countries is increasing. A retrospective audit of sub-Saharan African patients attending the infectious diseases clinics of a Melbourne teaching hospital was performed. A total of 375 patients were included. Helicobacter pylori gastritis was diagnosed in 60% of those tested (35/58), schistosomiasis in 41% (84/206), chronic hepatitis B in 19% (32/167), and strongyloidiasis in 18% (32/179). Active tuberculosis (TB) affected 18% (51/276) and latent TB 55% (152/276). Pathologic parasites were detected in stool in 21% (31/145). Vitamin D deficiency (< 50 nmol/L) affected 73% (139/191), anemia 17% (52/312), iron deficiency 15% (22/151), and low neutrophil count 25% (78/312). Infectious diseases, vitamin D deficiency, anemia, and latent TB were common in sub-Saharan African immigrants. Clinicians need to be aware of these conditions to meet the health needs of this group. Comprehensive health checks should be encouraged for new arrivals, particularly from high-risk areas.

Received July 17, 2008. Accepted for publication January 19, 2009.

Acknowledgments: We thank Elizabeth Matchett for her assistance with data retrieval and data input and Thao Nguyen for creating the database.

Financial support: No financial support was received to undertake this study.

Disclaimer: The authors report no potential conflicts of interest.

* Address correspondence to Beverley-Ann Biggs, Department of Medicine (RMH/WH), The University of Melbourne, 4th Floor Clinical Sciences Building, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia. E-mail: babiggs{at}unimelb.edu.au

Authors’ addresses: Katherine B. Gibney and Caroline Marshall, Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia, Tel: +61-3-9342-7212, Fax: +61-3-9342-7277. Seema Mihrshahi and Beverley-Ann Biggs, Department of Medicine (RMH/WH), The University of Melbourne, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia, Tel: +61-3-8344-3256, Fax: +61-3-9347-1863, E-mail: babiggs{at}unimelb.edu.au. Joseph Torresi, Department of Medicine (RMH/WH), The University of Melbourne, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia, Tel: +61-3-8344-3262, Fax: +61-3-9347-1863. Karin Leder, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia, Tel: +61-3-9903-0577, Fax: +61-3-9903-0556.






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Copyright © 2009 by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.