Abstract
Yearly, approximately 200.000 illegal migrants cross Schengen border (SB) to EU and seek for asylum. Of them, 120.000 are coming from North and Sub-Saharan Africa, crossing Mediterranean Sea with substantial risk and direct travel-related morbidity. The aim of this communication is an overview of infectious diseases (IDs) reported by asylum centres among seekers crossing Slovakian-Ukraine border. Records of 12.435 illegal migrants and asylum seekers arriving asylum centres and refugee camps in East Slovakia, are analysed in period 2009-2013 and compared to similar centres and studies from Poland, Italy and Greece. Among 12.435 cases, 7.215 (58%) were children accompanied by 5.200 adults, coming from Middle East, central and South Asia (Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine) and North Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, etc.) Commonest acute IDs were upper respiratory infections (URTI)32% (pneumonia 12%), gastroenteritis 7%, skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) 26% (impetigo, scabies, other ectoparasites). Intestinal parasites were found among 15% cases. Interestingly, tuberculosis (TB) was detected only in 118 patients (less than 1%), however 51% of TB cases were due to multiresistant (MDR) strains. Sporadic cases of morbilli, diphtheria and pertussis were noticed (less than 1%) during the last 4 years. Increasing number of migrants/asylum seekers has been observed during the last 10 years, those crossing SB from Ukraine to Slovakia. However, only few severe IDs, without single death were observed in Slovakia. Also, TB was very infrequent; however most of the TB cases were MDR.
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