title: [Health in the immigrant population: prevalence of latent tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis infection].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To describe the prevalence of infectious diseases in immigrants.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Mantoux tuberculin skin test and serology testing for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV and syphilis were performed in 488 immigrants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive reaction to the Mantoux (> or = 10 mm) was found in 19.1% of individuals from Africa, 9.6% from Eastern Europe and 5.8% from South America (p < 0.001). With regard to hepatitis B, 2.5% of the Africans, 2.1% of the Eastern Europeans and none of the South Americans were carriers of the virus (p 5 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of infectious diseases in immigrants varies according to their country of origin.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas. Servicio de Medicina Interna. Hospital General Universitario de Elche. Alicante. Spain. jramosrincon@terra.es
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Concepción
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pastor
authors.forename: M Mar
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Masía
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cascales
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Royo
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gutiérrez-Rodero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013587:Syphilis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*