Delivering multi-disease screening to migrants for latent TB and blood-borne viruses in an emergency department setting: A feasibility study.

BACKGROUND

Screening for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in migrants is important for elimination of tuberculosis in low-incidence countries, alongside the need to detect blood-borne infections to align with new guidelines on migrant screening for multiple infections in European countries. However, feasibility needs to be better understood.

METHODS

We did a feasibility study to test an innovative screening model offering combined testing for LTBI (QuantiFERON), HIV, hepatitis B/C in a UK emergency department, with two year follow-up.

RESULTS

96 economic migrants, asylum seekers and refugees from 43 countries were screened (46 [47.9%] women; mean age 35.2 years [SD 11.7; range 18-73]; mean time in the UK 4.8 years [SD 3.2; range 0-10]). 14 migrants (14.6%) tested positive for LTBI alongside HIV [1], hepatitis B [2], and hepatitis C [1] Of migrants with LTBI, 5 (35.7%) were successfully engaged in treatment. 74 (77.1%) migrants reported no previous screening since migrating to the UK.

CONCLUSION

Multi-disease screening in this setting is feasible and merits being further tested in larger-scale studies. However, greater emphasis must be placed on ensuring successful treatment outcomes. We identified major gaps in current screening provision; most migrants had been offered no prior screening despite several years since migration, which holds relevance to policy and practice in the UK and other European countries.