HIV and tuberculosis co-infection in non-European migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Domenico Benvenuto1, Elena Raffetti2,3,4, Giancarlo Ceccarelli5
1Dipartimento di Sicurezza e Bioetica, Sezione di Malattie Infettive, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Sezione di Malattie Infettive Largo Francesco Vito 1, Rome, 00136, Italy. domenicobenvenuto95@gmail.com.
Background:
Even though HIV-TB co-infection is an emerging public health issue among migrants in European countries, the number of related articles has shown a decreasing trend.
Methods:
To better estimate the extent of this problem, we analyzed 34 articles reporting both prevalence and odds ratio for HIV-TB co-infection in migrants in European countries. Heterogeneity analysis was conducted to assess potential bias, and a random-effects model was used to calculate the effect size.
Results:
The overall prevalence of HIV-TB co-infection was 9% (95%CI: 7% - 11%) in foreign-born individuals, with higher rates observed in specific subgroups: 14% (95%CI: 5% - 33%) in those from Sub-Saharan Africa, which is higher than the overall average, and 4% (95%CI: 2% - 7%) in those from Latin America, which is lower than the overall average. Compared to the native-born European population, foreign-born individuals had a twofold increased risk of HIV-TB co-infection, with a threefold increased risk for those from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Conclusions:
Our meta-analysis results highlight the disproportionate burden of HIV-TB co-infection among foreign-born people in Europe, particularly those from Sub-Saharan Africa.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis II
Here is a detailed explanation of its pathophysiology:
Transmission: The process begins when a person inhales droplet nuclei containing M. tuberculosis. These are typically released into the air when an individual with pulmonary or...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the...
Pulmonary Tuberculosis III
The first classification is based on the development of the disease, and it includes the following categories:
Bias in Epidemiological Studies


