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As we discussed last week in ECDC: Rapid Risk Assessment – The Movement Of Refugees Into Europe During Winter, Europe is seeing an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees (primarily from Syria, but also Afghanistan, Iraq, Eritrea & Somalia) seeking asylum f, and many are coming from regions with little or no medical infrastructure.
As a result, many will arrive with medical conditions, some of which are communicable. The ECDC is quick to assure, however, that:
The risk for EU/EEA countries of infectious disease outbreaks as a consequence of the current influx of migrants is extremely low. Although the likelihood that the specific infectious disease risks highlighted in this document will occur among migrants is low, or in some cases very low, they should still be considered, to ensure that they are recognised and treated in a timely manner, or prevented by immunisation when indicated. They do not represent a significant risk for EU/EEA populations
Today the ECDC has released a technical document listing specific diseases, endemic to many of the regions from where these refugees have recently come, that need to be part of their routine surveillance. Among them are Typhoid, Cholera, Hepatitis, Measles, Polio, and Tuberculosis.
Infectious diseases of specific relevance to newly-arrived migrants in the EU/EEA
23 Nov 2015
Abstract
Migrant populations entering the EU/EEA, and particularly children, are at risk of developing infectious diseases. Migrant populations may be subject to specific risks of infectious diseases depending on their country of origin, countries visited during their journey as migrants and the conditions they experienced during migration.
This document provides a checklist of infectious diseases to be considered among migrant populations and serves as a reminder for frontline healthcare workers of the risks of infectious diseases for newly-arrived migrants.
Although the risk of these specific infectious diseases occurring among migrants is low, they should still be considered, to ensure that they are recognised and treated in a timely manner, or prevented by immunisation when indicated.
The full 6-Page PDF Technical Document can be downloaded here.
