Screening and Diagnosis Access for Neglected and Tropical Parasitic Diseases in Italy: A National Survey

The availability of laboratory tests to screen and diagnose migrants and travellers for neglected and tropical parasitic diseases significantly impacts individual and public health. Italian scientific societies for parasitology, tropical diseases, and global health developed a survey to assess number and geographical localisation of laboratories able to carry out adequate diagnostics.

An open-ended and multiple-choice questionnaire was constructed and sent to 752 members working in Italian microbiology laboratories via scientific societies' mailing lists. Data concerning malaria, cystic echinococcosis, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, strongyloidiasis, and Chagas disease were included.

Members from 96 laboratories replied. At least one laboratory responded from 18 out of 20 Italian regions. Serological tests for Schistosoma spp., Strongyloides stercoralis, Trypanosoma cruzi, Echinococcus spp., and Leishmania spp. are performed in <50% of responding laboratories. Only 56.6% of labs provide all three recommended tests for malaria diagnosis in the emergency room. Direct identification methods availability varies for Schistosoma eggs (75-95.8%), S. stercoralis larvae (53.1%), trypomastigotes (59.4%), and Leishmania amastigotes (53.1%). Geographical differences (mainly northern versus southern regions) were evident.

The survey underlines the need to improve diagnosis for neglected and tropical diseases, to define a network of reference laboratories for testing less prevalent diseases, and to share information, education, and training for both clinicians and microbiologists/parasitologists.