title: A scoping review of cost-effectiveness of screening and treatment for latent tubercolosis infection in migrants from high-incidence countries.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In low-incidence countries, most tuberculosis (TB) cases occur among migrants and are caused by reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) acquired in the country of origin. Diagnosis and treatment of LTBI are rarely implemented to reduce the burden of TB in immigrants, partly because the cost-effectiveness profile of this intervention is uncertain. The objective of this research is to perform a review of the literature to assess the cost-effectiveness of LTBI diagnosis and treatment strategies in migrants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scoping review of economic evaluations on LTBI screening strategies for migrants was carried out in Medline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. LTBI screening was cost-effective according to seven studies. Findings of four studies support interferon gamma release assay as the most cost-effective test for LTBI screening in migrants. Two studies found that LTBI screening is cost-effective only if carried out in immigrants who are contacts of active TB cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the cost-effectiveness of LTBI diagnostic and treatment strategies in migrants especially if they are focused on young subjects from high incidence countries. These strategies could represent and adjunctive and synergistic tool to achieve the ambitious aim of TB elimination.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, University of Florence School of Medicine, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. lorenzo.zammarchi@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zammarchi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via G. La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy. gianluigi.casadei@guest.marionegri.it.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casadei
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, University of Florence School of Medicine, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. strohmeyerm@aou-careggi.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strohmeyer
authors.affiliation: SOD Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. bartalesif@aou-careggi.toscana.it.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bartalesi
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Barrios Altos, Lima, Peru. carola.liendo@upch.pe.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liendo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diaseases, WHO Collaborting Centre for TB Co-infection and TB Elimination, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy. matteelli@med.unibs.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matteelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Mother and Child Health, Department of Public Health, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Via G. La Masa 19, 20156, Milan, Italy. mother_child@marionegri.it.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonati
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Alexander von Humboldt", Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Barrios Altos, Lima, Peru. eduardo.gotuzzo@upch.pe.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gotuzzo
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Experimental & Clinical Medicine, University of Florence School of Medicine, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. alessandro.bartoloni@unifi.it.|SOD Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Florence, Italy. alessandro.bartoloni@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bartoloni
mesh_terms: D003141:Communicable Diseases; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003729:Dental Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D059425:Interferon-gamma Release Tests / Q000191:economics; D055985:Latent Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics*; D014171:Transients and Migrants; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000191:economics*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology