Neglected tropical diseases in non-endemic countries in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: the great forgotten

Marta Tilli; Piero Olliaro; Federico Gobbi; Zeno Bisoffi; Alessandro Bartoloni; Lorenzo Zammarchi

doi:10.1093/jtm/taaa179

Neglected tropical diseases in non-endemic countries in the era of COVID-19 pandemic: the great forgotten

J Travel Med. 2021 Jan 6;28(1):taaa179. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa179.

Authors

Marta Tilli¹, Piero Olliaro², Federico Gobbi³, Zeno Bisoffi^{3

4}, Alessandro Bartoloni^{1

5}, Lorenzo Zammarchi^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Italy.
² Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, New Richards Building, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7LG, UK.
³ Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar (Verona), Via Sempreboni 5, 37024, Italy.
⁴ Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi - P.le L.A. Scuro 10, 37134, Italy.
⁵ Infectious and Tropical Diseases Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134, Italy.

Abstract

In non-endemic countries, the access to healthcare for migrants and other patients with NTDs may be hampered by new barriers linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Low awareness of health care professionals on the opportunistic potential of some NTDs may lead to unfavorable outcome of COVID-19 patients treated with immunomodulatory drugs.

Keywords: Chagas disease; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); immunosuppressive treatment; leishmaniasis; migrants; screening programs; strongyloidiasis.

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / complications
COVID-19 / epidemiology*
Developing Countries
Humans
Neglected Diseases / complications
Neglected Diseases / epidemiology*
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2*
Travel Medicine
Tropical Medicine