Infectious diseases of Khmer immigrants in the United States: review of published reports.

Infectious diseases are influenced by where patients have lived or travelled in the past, e.g., infection with Schistosoma mekongi can be acquired during freshwater contact in Cambodia, but not in the United States. Here the infectious diseases of Khmer immigrants in the United States were studied by reviewing published reports. Thirteen case series and 9 case reports of 5,222 patients were identified. Most reports were of infections with gastrointestinal parasites (8, 36%), Plasmnodium species (3, 14%), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (3, 14%), and Mycobacterium leprae (2, 9%). Other reports included infections with Burkholderia pseudomallei, Trichinella spiralis, and Schistosoma japonicum. In conclusion, Khmer patients in the US can be infected with different gastrointestinal. parasites, different extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis have been reported, and 2 reports of M. leprae were identified. A country-specific database for origin and current residence for Khmer and other immigrant groups providing access to specialised information may be useful for clinicians taking care of immigrants.

Infectious diseases of Afghan immigrants in the United States: review of published reports.

Infectious diseases of immigrants may differ from patients born and resident in the same country, especially if immigrants from Africa or Asia live in Europe or North America. Because the available information is limited published reports of infections of Afghan immigrants in the United States and other countries were analysed. Four reports from the US and 15 reports from other countries were identified [7, (46.7%) Pakistan, 5 (33.3%) Iran, 1 (6.7%) United Kingdom, 1 (6.7%) Germany, 1 (6.7%) Israel)]. Reports from the US were case reports or case series of infections with gastro-intestinal parasites and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (1, 25%), Echinococcus species (2, 50%), and Plasmodium vivax (1, 25%). Reports from other countries were case reports, case series, or surveys and investigated infections with Echinococcus species (2, 13%), Hepatitis B virus (HBV) (1, 6.7%), M. tuberculosis (6, 40%), P. falciparum (1, 6.7%), Leishmania tropica (3, 20%), Fasciola hepatica (1, 6.7%), and M. leprae (1, 6.7%). The reports suggest that Echinococcus species and L. tropica infections can be encountered in Afghan immigrants in the US, and the frequency of a positive PPD (purified protein derivative) response or HBsAg test was increased. An infectious diseases database specific for the country of residence readily available to clinicians treating Afghan patients outside of Afghanistan may be useful.