Magnitude of Giardia cases among refugees, adoptees and immigrants in Monroe County, New York, 2003-2013

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the morbidity of Giardia in Monroe County, New York attributed to refugees, foreign adoptees and immigrants, and to examine factors related to asymptomatic Giardia infection. Design/methodology/approach A retrospective epidemiological analysis was co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of migration, health and social care health and social care, 2016-09, Vol.12 (3), p.211-215
Main Authors: Bedard, Brenden, Pennise, Melissa, Weimer, Anita C, Kennedy, Byron S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adopted children
Disease control
Electronic surveillance
Epidemiology
Food contamination & poisoning
Health problems
Immigrants
Infections
Infectious diseases
Investigations
Medical screening
Morbidity
Noncitizens
Parasites
Public health
Refugees
Surveillance
Surveillance systems
Tests
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Summary:Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the morbidity of Giardia in Monroe County, New York attributed to refugees, foreign adoptees and immigrants, and to examine factors related to asymptomatic Giardia infection. Design/methodology/approach A retrospective epidemiological analysis was conducted of Giardia case investigations submitted to the New York State Department of Health on the Communicable Disease Electronic Surveillance System, between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2013 from Monroe County Department of Public Health. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess odds for asymptomatic Giardia. Findings Of the 1,221 Giardia cases reported in Monroe County during that time, 38 percent (n=467) were refugees, 6 percent (n=77) were foreign adoptees and 1.4 percent (n=17) were immigrants. In total, 95 percent of the refugees and 89 percent of the adoptees/immigrants were asymptomatic, compared to 15 percent of the non-refugee/adoptee/immigrant cases. Unadjusted odds for asymptomatic infection were 113.4 (95 percent CI: 70.6-183.7) for refugees, and 45.6 (95 percent CI: 22.9-91) for adoptees/immigrants. Originality/value This study demonstrates the importance of routine screening for Giardia during refugees’ initial health assessment.
ISSN:1747-9894
2042-8650
DOI:10.1108/IJMHSC-05-2015-0019