Prevalence of HIV infections in hospitalised immigrants in Clinics of Infectious Diseases in Italy: a multicentric survey.
Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of HIV infection in immigrants hospitalised in infectious disease settings in Italy during 2002. Each participating centre filled in a CRF which regarded the number of immigrants hospitalised in ordinary regime or in day-hospital during 2002 and, for HIV-positive patients only, some demographic (age, sex, origin) and clinical features (only HIV positivity or AIDS, new diagnosis or not, diagnosis of opportunistic infections). A total of 46 Infectious Diseases Units participated in the study and a total number of 2255 patients were tested for anti-HIV, irrespective of the cause of hospitalization, with 378 (16%) cases of positivity. Women accounted for 47.9%; the mean age of the population was 34.5 years. African patients showed a higher prevalence of HIV infections than subjects from other geographical areas (61.9% of all cases). Most HIV-infected patients were unaware of their positivity. In conclusion, HIV infection represents one of the main health problems among immigrants, particularly of African origin.
Scotto
G
G
SIMIT, Italian Society of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Committee for Immigrants Infectious Diseases Study, University of Foggia, Italy.
Saracino
A
A
Pempinello
R
R
El-Hamad
I
I
Geraci
S
S
Palumbo
E
E
Cibelli
D C
DC
Angarano
G
G
D000328:Adult; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence