Prevalence of Schistosoma spp., Trypanosoma cruzi, and Strongyloides stercoralis Infections in Immigrants Arriving in Italy

Background. As global interconnectedness increases, so does the diversity of diseases faced by non-endemic countries. This research focuses on three neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) - Schistosomiasis, Strongyloidiasis, and American Trypanosomiasis (Chagas Disease). The aim of the study was to assess their prevalence in migrant populations entering Italy. Methods. We included migrants from endemic countries referred to our outpatient clinic at the Amedeo di Savoia Hospital, Turin. They were asked to undergo two screening exams, the first being serological, involving searching for antibodies against the specified parasites. Followed with a second screening test, a direct faecal parasitological exam, involving the search for the parasites/ parasitic eggs. Results. We enrolled 56 participants originating from endemic countries; they were stratified according to their symptoms and/or the presence of eosinophilia, 20 of our participants were asymptomatic. The results of these tests demonstrated a high burden of Schistosomiasis (42.4% of tested participants) while Strongyloidiasis (16.7%) and Chagas (3.8%) were less common. Of the participants that tested positive, 90.5% were from Sub-Saharan African countries; 4.8% were from South-East Asian countries, and the remainder 4.8% were from Central-South American countries. Adherence to sample collection and study visits was incomplete. Conclusions. A relevant proportion of migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa are affected by Strongyloidiasis and Schistosomiasis. Both can be treated easily with a short course of anthelmintic drugs: avoiding consequences such as hyper-infection syndrome, chronic liver/bladder diseases and neoplasias. Chagas was less common, a focused screening of Latin American migrants may be effective in preventing consequences of untreated Chagas.