Italian multicentre study found infectious and vaccine-preventable diseases in children adopted from Africa and recommends prompt medical screening

AIM This study evaluated the prevalence of infectious diseases and immunisation status of children adopted from Africa. METHODS We studied 762 African children referred to 11 Italian paediatric centres in 2009-2015. Clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively collected and analysed. RESULTS The median age of the children (60.3% males) was 3 years and 6 months, 52.6% came from Ethiopia and 50.1% had at least one infectious disease. Parasitic infections accounted for the majority of the infectious diseases (409 of 715), and the most common were Giardia lamblia (n = 239), Toxocara canis (n = 65) and skin infections (n = 205), notably Tinea capitis/corporis (n = 134) and Molluscum contagi…