Tuberculosis is an airborne, bacterial disease that effects the lungs that spreads when people cough and sneeze. The scary part about this disease is that people who are infected may not show any symptoms. Treatment for TB is a lengthy process that requires multiple antibiotics.
This journal analyses the TB outbreak among Italian immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. They looked at three interventions of the outbreak in Italy during a four-year period at five sites (primary centers and mobile clinics) in Rome and one in Milan.
TB cases have significantly increased in occurrence over the past few years. However, with the adaptation of a new prevention method in 2014, TB cases have seen lower levels and can, if treated correctly, be eliminated before the disease spreads.
Italy has no TB national screening policy for new entrants, which allows more cases to enter the country. So, this study was conducted to introduce interventions during 2009 and 2010 in Italian refugee areas and compare results of those same intervention methods being used in 2013 and 2014.
According to the research in this study, the interventions conducted helped to slow the spread of TB in Italy and surrounding countries. Refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants are the most suspetable to the disease and are considered more likely to be caring it. The interventions put in place require this group of people to get screenings for the disease before entering Italy.
Worked Cited:
Monica Sañé Schepisi, et al. “Active Tuberculosis Case Finding Interventions among Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Italy.” Infectious Disease Reports, no. 2, 2016. EBSCOhost, doi:10.4081/idr.2016.6594.