Global migration has increased in recent decades due to war, conflict, persecutions, and natural disasters, but also secondary to increased opportunities related to work or study. Tuberculosis is a preventable and treatable infectious disease and the leading cause of death in infections worldwide. A group of international experts that collaborate in the Tuberculosis Network European Trialsgroup (TBnet; www.tbnet.eu) has now identified the risk for tuberculosis and comorbidities in migrants to the European Union/European Economic Area and the United Kingdom (EU/EEA&UK).
They found a higher vulnerability of migrants for tuberculosis, including an increased risk of extrapulmonary disease, antimicrobial drug resistance of tuberculosis bacilli, HIV co-infection and worse treatment outcomes when compared to host populations. The experts developed consensus recommendations for the management of tuberculosis prevention, screening and care in migrants to the EU/EEA&UK. They agree that migrants do not “import” tuberculosis on large scale into EU/EEA&UK and that better measures must be taken for their protection from this disease and to improve tuberculosis outcomes in migrants.
"Migrant populations entering Europe have poorer tuberculosis outcomes than native populations. As cases of tuberculosis are rising in Europe, we need urgent robust strategies to strengthen screening, rapid diagnosis, and treatment in these hard-to-reach populations” says Dr. Heinke Kunst from Queen Mary University in London, UK, first author of this TBnet article published in the European Respiratory Journal.
Reference: Kunst H, Lange B, Hovardovska O, Bockey A, Zenner D, Andersen AB, Hargreaves S, Pareek M, Friedland JS, Wejse C, Bothamley G, Guglielmetti L, Chesov D, Tiberi S, Matteelli A, Mandalakas AM, Heyckendorf J, Eimer J, Malhotra A, Zamora J, Vasiliu A, Lange C for the TBnet. Tuberculosis in adult migrants in Europe: a TBnet consensus statement. Eur Respir J. 2024 Dec 13:2401612. doi: 10.1183/13993003.01612-2024. Online ahead of print. PMID: 39672603
Contact:
Dr. Heinke Kunst
Reader in Respiratory Medicine
Blizard Institute; Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry
Queen Mary University of London
4 Newark Street, London E1 2AT, UK
