Where was my patient born? The Intersection of tropical medicine and migrant health

Abstract

Purpose of review There is unprecedented movement of people across international borders and parasitic infections, previously restricted to endemic regions, are now encountered in nonendemic areas of the world. Recent findings Migrants may import parasitic infections acquired in their countries of origin. Increasingly, clinicians in nonendemic regions are faced with patients with neglected diseases such as Chagas disease, malaria and strongyloidiasis. There are gaps in knowledge among physicians in nonendemic regions, which lead to missed opportunities for preventive strategies and early treatment. Both primary care and infectious disease physicians should have a broad knowledge of common parasitic infections to improve health outcomes and decrease healthcare disparities through early identification and treatment of disease encountered in migrants. Summary Migrant health is still a young field in medicine; clinicians should be aware of diseases seen in migrants, and access both educational and clinical resources, including experts in tropical medicine, in order to reduce health disparities among migrants. Collaboration between primary care and infectious disease/tropical medicine experts should be strengthened.

Updated Estimates and Mapping for Prevalence of Chagas Disease among Adults, United States

“…By mapping the resulting data at the most local level possible, we have constructed interactive maps that enable providers to assess risk in their catchment area ( 16 ). Such maps could be developed to target screening efforts for other conditions for which migrants bear a disproportionate risk ( 33 ).…”