Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018
Leprosy is a chronic neglected infectious disease that affects over 200,000 people each year and causes disabilities in more than four million people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The disease can appear with a wide spectrum of clinical forms, and therefore the clinical suspicion is often diffi...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-07-01
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Series: | Microorganisms |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/8/1113 |
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doaj-735f1188637f45ceb46cfa6aaa87baed |
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record_format |
Article |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Anna Beltrame Gianfranco Barabino Yiran Wei Andrea Clapasson Pierantonio Orza Francesca Perandin Chiara Piubelli Geraldo Badona Monteiro Silvia Stefania Longoni Paola Rodari Silvia Duranti Ronaldo Silva Veronica Andrea Fittipaldo Zeno Bisoffi |
spellingShingle |
Anna Beltrame Gianfranco Barabino Yiran Wei Andrea Clapasson Pierantonio Orza Francesca Perandin Chiara Piubelli Geraldo Badona Monteiro Silvia Stefania Longoni Paola Rodari Silvia Duranti Ronaldo Silva Veronica Andrea Fittipaldo Zeno Bisoffi Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018 Microorganisms Leprosy <i>Mycobacterium leprae</i> <i>Mycobacterium lepromatosis</i> refugees migrants Italy |
author_facet |
Anna Beltrame Gianfranco Barabino Yiran Wei Andrea Clapasson Pierantonio Orza Francesca Perandin Chiara Piubelli Geraldo Badona Monteiro Silvia Stefania Longoni Paola Rodari Silvia Duranti Ronaldo Silva Veronica Andrea Fittipaldo Zeno Bisoffi |
author_sort |
Anna Beltrame |
title |
Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018 |
title_short |
Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018 |
title_full |
Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018 |
title_fullStr |
Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018 |
title_sort |
leprosy in refugees and migrants in italy and a literature review of cases reported in europe between 2009 and 2018 |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Microorganisms |
issn |
2076-2607 |
publishDate |
2020-07-01 |
description |
Leprosy is a chronic neglected infectious disease that affects over 200,000 people each year and causes disabilities in more than four million people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The disease can appear with a wide spectrum of clinical forms, and therefore the clinical suspicion is often difficult. Refugees and migrants from endemic countries affected by leprosy can remain undiagnosed in Europe due to the unpreparedness of clinicians. We retrospectively describe the characteristics of 55 refugees/migrants with a diagnosis of leprosy established in Italy from 2009 to 2018. Continents of origin were Africa (42%), Asia (40%), and South and Central America (18%). The symptoms reported were skin lesions (91%), neuropathy (71%), edema (7%), eye involvement (6%), fever (6%), arthritis (4%), and lymphadenopathy (4%). Seven patients (13%) had irreversible complications. Overall, 35% were relapses and 66% multibacillary leprosy. Furthermore, we conducted a review of 17 case reports or case series and five nationwide reports, published in the same decade, describing 280 migrant patients with leprosy in Europe. In Europe, leprosy is a rare chronic infectious disease, but it has not completely disappeared. Diagnosis and treatment of leprosy in refugees and migrants from endemic countries are a challenge. European guidelines for this neglected disease in this high-risk population would be beneficial. |
topic |
Leprosy <i>Mycobacterium leprae</i> <i>Mycobacterium lepromatosis</i> refugees migrants Italy |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/8/1113 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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1724805000307146752 |
spelling |
doaj-735f1188637f45ceb46cfa6aaa87baed2020-11-25T02:35:10ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072020-07-0181113111310.3390/microorganisms8081113Leprosy in Refugees and Migrants in Italy and a Literature Review of Cases Reported in Europe between 2009 and 2018Anna Beltrame0Gianfranco Barabino1Yiran Wei2Andrea Clapasson3Pierantonio Orza4Francesca Perandin5Chiara Piubelli6Geraldo Badona Monteiro7Silvia Stefania Longoni8Paola Rodari9Silvia Duranti10Ronaldo Silva11Veronica Andrea Fittipaldo12Zeno Bisoffi13Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDermatological Clinic, National Reference Center for Hansen’s Disease, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Sistema Sanitario Regione Liguria, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico per l’Oncologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDermatological Clinic, National Reference Center for Hansen’s Disease, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Sistema Sanitario Regione Liguria, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico per l’Oncologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDermatological Clinic, National Reference Center for Hansen’s Disease, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Sistema Sanitario Regione Liguria, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico per l’Oncologia, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132 Genoa, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyOncology Department, Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research I.R.C.C.S., Via Giuseppe La Masa 19, 20156 Milano, ItalyDepartment of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, I.R.C.C.S. Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Via Sempreboni 5, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, ItalyLeprosy is a chronic neglected infectious disease that affects over 200,000 people each year and causes disabilities in more than four million people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The disease can appear with a wide spectrum of clinical forms, and therefore the clinical suspicion is often difficult. Refugees and migrants from endemic countries affected by leprosy can remain undiagnosed in Europe due to the unpreparedness of clinicians. We retrospectively describe the characteristics of 55 refugees/migrants with a diagnosis of leprosy established in Italy from 2009 to 2018. Continents of origin were Africa (42%), Asia (40%), and South and Central America (18%). The symptoms reported were skin lesions (91%), neuropathy (71%), edema (7%), eye involvement (6%), fever (6%), arthritis (4%), and lymphadenopathy (4%). Seven patients (13%) had irreversible complications. Overall, 35% were relapses and 66% multibacillary leprosy. Furthermore, we conducted a review of 17 case reports or case series and five nationwide reports, published in the same decade, describing 280 migrant patients with leprosy in Europe. In Europe, leprosy is a rare chronic infectious disease, but it has not completely disappeared. Diagnosis and treatment of leprosy in refugees and migrants from endemic countries are a challenge. European guidelines for this neglected disease in this high-risk population would be beneficial.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/8/8/1113Leprosy<i>Mycobacterium leprae</i><i>Mycobacterium lepromatosis</i>refugeesmigrantsItaly |