Venereal disease among immigrant workers in Vienna

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Immigration physical examinations are mandatory for migrant workers before work permits are issued.
• Syphilis (a sexually transmitted infection) poses a public health concern, particularly among mobile populations.
• Data on venereal diseases among immigrant workers post-immigration is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of syphilis among immigrant workers during the immigration screening process.
• To compare the incidence of syphilis in migrant workers with the general population of Vienna.
• To assess the effectiveness of follow-up procedures for syphilis control among this population.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 74,983 migrant worker applicants between 1972 and 1974 using serological tests for syphilis.
• Analysis of data from individuals traced for compulsory examination due to treatment default, suspected prostitution, or reported infection sources.
• Examination of located individuals for early infectious syphilis lesions.

Main Results:

• 0.8% of screened migrant workers showed reactive serological tests for syphilis, with fifteen cases of early syphilis identified.
• The incidence of recent syphilis infections among immigrants was lower than reported for Vienna's inhabitants.
• Of 414 individuals traced for syphilis control, 257 were located, and 18 (7%) had early infectious lesions.

Conclusions:

• Immigration screening effectively identifies a low incidence of syphilis among new migrant workers.
• The prevalence of syphilis in this migrant group is lower than in the local Viennese population.
• Targeted follow-up is crucial for managing syphilis cases within the immigrant worker population.