title: Iatrogenic blood-borne viral infections in refugee children from war and transition zones.
abstract: Pediatric infectious disease clinicians in industrialized countries may encounter iatrogenically transmitted HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus infections in refugee children from Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The consequences of political collapse and/or civil war-work migration, prostitution, intravenous drug use, defective public health resources, and poor access to good medical care-all contribute to the spread of blood-borne viruses. Inadequate infection control practices by medical establishments can lead to iatrogenic infection of children. Summaries of 4 cases in refugee children in Australia are a salient reminder of this problem.
authors.affiliation: Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Goldwater
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa; D001315:Australia; D017848:Blood-Borne Pathogens; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012036:Refugees; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D014857:Warfare
keywords: HIV; children; hepatitis B virus; hepatitis C virus; iatrogenic; infections; pathogenesis; transfusions; viruses; war