title: Tuberculosis screening in migrant reception centers: results of a 2009 Italian survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tuberculosis (TB) is a social disease that is common in immigrants who are forced to live in difficult circumstances. In Italy, the guidelines for preventing TB include X-ray screening and application of the Mantoux test for migrants from high-TB-endemic countries as soon as possible after admission to Italy. This article describes a field survey conducted in the reception center for asylum seekers in Bari Palese in southern Italy following the death of a center resident from pulmonary TB.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Mantoux screening test, followed by chest X-ray, was carried out in March 2009 on 982 immigrants, representing 97.5% of the residents of the center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive Mantoux test result was seen in 60.7% of the residents screened. The chest X-rays were performed on 92.9% of cuti-positive patients and on cuti-negative patients who were recent contacts of the deceased TB case and/or with symptoms suspicious for TB. Eight residents were diagnosed with active TB (0.8% of residents), and 117 residents (11.9%) had TB sequelae. In our survey, the Mantoux test demonstrated 88% sensitivity, 17% specificity, and a positive predictive value of 1% for active TB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The survey results suggest that residents in asylum centers are a special type of immigrant. Specific risk factors, such as overcrowding, may expose these residents to a greater risk for infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Hygiene, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy. silvio.tafuri@gmail.com
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tafuri
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Melpignano
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Palma
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quarto
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prato
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Germinario
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult