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Screening for parasites in migrant children
Jorge Bustamante1, Talía Sainz2, María Fátima Ara-Montojo3
1Department of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Hospital Universitario Doctor José Molina Orosa, Las Palmas, Spain; La Paz Research Institute (IdiPAZ) Madrid, Spain; Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Spain; General Pediatrics and Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department, Hospital La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
Insights
Parasitic infections are common in migrant children, with nearly 30% affected. Screening is crucial, as many children are asymptomatic, and African origin or eosinophilia are key risk factors.
Area of Science:
- Global health
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Medical parasitology
Background:
- Globalization drives population movements, increasing the risk of imported diseases.
- Children, due to behavioral habits, face a higher risk of acquiring parasitic infections (parasitosis).
- Understanding the prevalence and risk factors of parasitosis in migrant children is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of parasitic infections in migrant children.
- To identify factors associated with parasitic diseases in this population.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 2014 to 2018.
- Diagnosis of parasitosis was confirmed via serology and/or microscopic stool sample evaluation.
- Epidemiological and clinical data were systematically recorded for analysis.
Main Results:
- Out of 813 screened migrant children, 29.6% had at least one parasite, and 10.9% had multiple infections.
- Giardiasis, schistosomiasis, toxocariasis, and strongyloidiasis were the most prevalent parasitic diagnoses.
- African origin and the presence of eosinophilia were identified as significant risk factors for parasitism.
Conclusions:
- Parasitic infections are frequent among migrant children, often presenting asymptomatically.
- Active screening for parasitosis is recommended for high-risk populations, including migrant children.
- Eosinophilia and geographical origin can aid in identifying parasitic infections, but a normal eosinophil count does not rule out parasitosis.
Background:
Globalization has pushed population movements in the last decades, turning imported diseases into the focus. Due to behavioral habits, children are at higher risk of acquiring parasitosis. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of parasites in migrant children and factors associated with parasitic diseases.
Method:
Retrospective cross-sectional study (2014-2018) including children diagnosed with parasitosis. The diagnosis was based on serology and/or microscopic stool-sample evaluation. Epidemiological and clinical data were recorded.
Results:
Out of 813 migrant children screened, 241 (29.6%) presented at least one parasite, and 89 (10.9%) more than one. The median age was 6.6 years (IQR: 3.1-11.9) and 58.9% were males. Most cases were referred for a health exam; only 52.3% of children were symptomatic, but 43.6% had eosinophilia. The most common diagnosis were giardiasis (35.3%), schistosomiasis (19.1%), toxocariasis (15.4%), and strongyloidiasis (9.1%). After the multivariate analysis, African origin and presenting with eosinophilia were the main risk factors for parasitism.
Conclusions:
parasitosis are frequent among migrant children. Children are often asymptomatic, and thus active screening for parasitosis should be considered among high-risk populations. Eosinophilia can be useful to guide complimentary tests, as well as geographical origin, but normal eosinophil count does not exclude parasitosis.
