TY - JOUR
T1 - An outbreak of chickenpox in an asylum seeker centre in Italy
T2 - Outbreak investigation and validity of reported chickenpox history, December 2015– May 2016
AU - Vairo, Francesco
AU - Di Bari, Virginia
AU - Panella, Vincenzo
AU - Quintavalle, Giuseppe
AU - Torchia, Saul
AU - Serra, Maria Cristina
AU - Sinopoli, Maria Teresa
AU - Lopalco, Maurizio
AU - Ceccarelli, Giancarlo
AU - Ferraro, Federica
AU - Valle, Sabrina
AU - Bordi, Licia
AU - Capobianchi, Maria Rosaria
AU - Puro, Vincenzo
AU - Scognamiglio, Paola
AU - Ippolito, Giuseppe
AU - Charles, Keh Buma Dinga
AU - Tognoni, Valeria
AU - Cuomo, Mariarosaria
AU - Bellanca, Giada
AU - Vita, Serena
AU - Walters, Ida
AU - Di Renzo, Veronica
AU - Papuzza, Irene Conti
AU - Leonardi, Maria
AU - Dimitrova, Elsa
AU - Bujor, Mihaela
AU - Sane-Schepisi, Monica
AU - Lanini, Simone
AU - Leone, Roberto
AU - Agresta, Alessandro
AU - Nisii, Carla
AU - Lalle, Eleonora
AU - Felici, Luisa
AU - Abate, Isabella
AU - Outbreak Investigation Group
PY - 2017/11/16
Y1 - 2017/11/16
N2 - An outbreak of chickenpox occurred between December 2015 and May 2016 among asylum seekers in a reception centre in Latium, Italy. We describe the epidemiological and laboratory investigations, control measures and validity of reported history of chickenpox infection. Serological screening of all residents and incoming asylum seekers was performed, followed by vaccine offer to all susceptible individuals without contraindication. Forty-six cases were found and 41 were associated with the outbreak. No complications, hospitalisations or deaths occurred. Serological testing was performed in 1,278 individuals and 169 were found to be susceptible, with a seroprevalence of 86.8%. A questionnaire was administered to 336 individuals consecutively attending the CARA health post to collect their serological result. The sensitivity, specificity and the positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV) of the reported history of chickenpox were 45.0%, 76.1%, 88.3% and 25.6%, respectively. We observed an increasing trend for the PPV and decreasing trend for the NPV with increasing age. Our report confirms that, in the asylum seeker population, chickenpox history is not the optimal method to identify susceptible individuals. Our experience supports the need for additional prevention and control measures and highlights the importance of national and local surveillance systems for reception centres.
AB - An outbreak of chickenpox occurred between December 2015 and May 2016 among asylum seekers in a reception centre in Latium, Italy. We describe the epidemiological and laboratory investigations, control measures and validity of reported history of chickenpox infection. Serological screening of all residents and incoming asylum seekers was performed, followed by vaccine offer to all susceptible individuals without contraindication. Forty-six cases were found and 41 were associated with the outbreak. No complications, hospitalisations or deaths occurred. Serological testing was performed in 1,278 individuals and 169 were found to be susceptible, with a seroprevalence of 86.8%. A questionnaire was administered to 336 individuals consecutively attending the CARA health post to collect their serological result. The sensitivity, specificity and the positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV) of the reported history of chickenpox were 45.0%, 76.1%, 88.3% and 25.6%, respectively. We observed an increasing trend for the PPV and decreasing trend for the NPV with increasing age. Our report confirms that, in the asylum seeker population, chickenpox history is not the optimal method to identify susceptible individuals. Our experience supports the need for additional prevention and control measures and highlights the importance of national and local surveillance systems for reception centres.
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U2 - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.46.17-00020
DO - 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.46.17-00020
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85034972555
VL - 22
JO - Eurosurveillance
JF - Eurosurveillance
SN - 1560-7917
IS - 46
M1 - 17-00020
ER -