[Infectious diseases among patients at the Health Centre for Undocumented Migrants in Oslo]

Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2020 Mar 16;140(4). doi: 10.4045/tidsskr.19.0074. Print 2020 Mar 17.
[Article in Norwegian]

Abstract

Background: Undocumented migrants probably fall outside the scope of public infectious disease control schemes. The article aims to describe the extent of undetected highly hazardous communicable diseases among patients at the Health Centre for Undocumented Migrants in Oslo.

Material and method: We reviewed the records of all patients who attended the Health Centre for the first time in 2016 or 2017, with a view to age, sex, period of stay in Norway, country category and infection test results from the period 1 January 2016-31 December 2017.

Results: There were four new cases of hepatitis B among 139 patients tested, and four cases of chlamydia infection among 38 patients tested. There were no new cases of active pulmonary tuberculosis, syphilis, HIV infection or hepatitis C.

Interpretation: There were fewer cases of highly hazardous communicable diseases than what might be expected based on the countries from which the patients originated.

MeSH terms

  • HIV Infections*
  • Hepatitis B*
  • Humans
  • Norway / epidemiology
  • Syphilis*
  • Transients and Migrants*