[Implication of health checkups of students from developing countries in Japan]

We investigated the prevalence of peripheral blood abnormalities, parasitic infestation, and hepatitis virus infection, by using the results of the primary screening health checkups for 423 students (male: 317, female: 106, average age +/- SD: 34.2 +/- 5.5 year-old) from abroad. Most of them were from Southeast Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and other developing countries in tropical or subtropical areas. Thalassemia-like hematological disorders, showing microcytic peripheral red blood cells without any anemia, were seen in 7.6 percent of the students, and intestinal parasites were revealed in 12.7 percent of them. The positive rate for anti-hepatitis A virus antibodies (84.3%) and the exposure rate of hepatitis B viruses (35.3%) were similar to previous reports. Compared with the positive rate for anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies (anti-HCVAb) of students from other regions (1.5%), a significantly high seropositivity for anti-HCVAb was encountered in Egyptian participants (21.1%). In recent years, population shifts and rapid transportation have facilitated the spread of certain infectious diseases from endemic to non-endemic areas. International preventive strategies, education of people regarding infectious diseases, and sufficient medical staffs for this purpose are urgently recommended.