Aim:To show the prevalence of selected infectious diseases among internationally adopted children (IAC) in Denmark.
Background:Each year approximately 200 IAC arrive in Denmark. These are at increased risk of infectious diseases rarely seen in Danish children. Studies from the 1990s showed that 60% of IAC had infectious diseases and that the majority of these were undetected without screening.
Methods:The study is a prospective study of medical records from children seen in the adoption clinic at Copenhagen University Hospital in the period 2009-2013.Screening was done for hepatitis A (HAV), B (HBV) and C (HCV), syphilis, HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and intestinal parasites. Results: In 245 IAC tested, 2% had evidence of recent HAV infection, 3% with HBV and one child with HCV, and no cases of HIV were found. One child had antibodies against syphilis (anti-Trpa AB positivity), and 2% were latently infected with tuberculosis. We found 30% infected with pathogenic intestinal parasites. Only 46% had serologic evidence of immunisation against HBV.
Conclusion:The prevalence of infections in IAC was lower than previously reported but compared to the general population, a higher prevalence of intestinal parasites, hepatitis and tuberculosis was found. We recommend that IAC are offered screening shortly after arrival.
K E Y W O R D Sadoptees, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, infectious diseases, intestinal parasites, tuberculosis
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