Effectiveness of Screening and Treatment Approaches for Schistosomiasis and Strongyloidiasis in Newly-Arrived Migrants from Endemic Countries in the EU/EEA: A Systematic Review

Eric N. Agbata, Rachael L. Morton, Zeno Bisoffi, Emmanuel Bottieau, Christina Greenaway, Beverley-A. Biggs, Nadia Montero, Anh Tran, Nick Rowbotham, Ingrid Arevalo-Rodriguez, Daniel T. Myran, Teymur Noori, Pablo Alonso-Coello, Kevin Pottie and Ana Requena-Méndez
Additional contact information
Eric N. Agbata: Faculty of Health Science, University of Roehampton London, London SW15 5PU, UK
Rachael L. Morton: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
Zeno Bisoffi: Centre for Tropical Diseases (CTD), IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Negrar, Negrar, 37024 Verona, Italy
Emmanuel Bottieau: Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, 155 Nationalestraat, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Christina Greenaway: Division of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Epidemiology, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada
Beverley-A. Biggs: Department of Medicine at the Doherty Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
Nadia Montero: Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito 170509, Ecuador
Anh Tran: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
Nick Rowbotham: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
Ingrid Arevalo-Rodriguez: Centro de Investigación en Salud Pública y Epidemiología Clínica (CISPEC), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito 170509, Ecuador
Daniel T. Myran: Bruyere Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Teymur Noori: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Gustav III: s Boulevard 40, 169 73 Solna, Sweden
Pablo Alonso-Coello: Iberoamerican Cochrane Center, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau-CIBERESP), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Kevin Pottie: Centre for Global Health Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Ana Requena-Méndez: ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal-CRESIB, Hospital Clínic-University of Barcelona), E-08036 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-41

Abstract: We aimed to evaluate the evidence on screening and treatment for two parasitic infections—schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis—among migrants from endemic countries arriving in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA). We conducted a systematic search of multiple databases to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 1 January 1993 and 30 May 2016 presenting evidence on diagnostic and treatment efficacy and cost-effectiveness. We conducted additional systematic search for individual studies published between 2010 and 2017. We assessed the methodological quality of reviews and studies using the AMSTAR, Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and QUADAS-II tools. Study synthesis and assessment of the certainty of the evidence was performed using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. We included 28 systematic reviews and individual studies in this review. The GRADE certainty of evidence was low for the effectiveness of screening techniques and moderate to high for treatment efficacy. Antibody-detecting serological tests are the most effective screening tests for detection of both schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis in low-endemicity settings, because they have higher sensitivity than conventional parasitological methods. Short courses of praziquantel and ivermectin were safe and highly effective and cost-effective in treating schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis, respectively. Economic modelling suggests presumptive single-dose treatment of strongyloidiasis with ivermectin for all migrants is likely cost-effective, but feasibility of this strategy has yet to be demonstrated in clinical studies. The evidence supports screening and treatment for schistosomiasis and strongyloidiasis in migrants from endemic countries, to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: migrant populations; schistosomiasis/schistosoma; strongyloidiasis/strongyloides; screening/diagnosis; treatment; public health; GRADE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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