Análisis comparativo de las serologías realizadas a los inmigrantes en la región sanitaria de Lleida

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the process of screening and detection of HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis in the province of Lleida by determining the proportions of positive results in the different groups during one year. DESIGN: Descriptive, multicentre study of all the serological tests performed in immigrants and natives attended in 2007. SETTING: Province of Lleida (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: 255,410 users. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Age, sex, country of origin and period of residence in Spain, and the results for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis. We calculated the proportions in which a serological test had been requested, and examined the association between the rates of positive tests and the geographical area of origin, and calculated age-adjusted rates taking the age distribution of the native population as the reference. RESULTS: Risk of HBV was 4.6 times higher in immigrants than in natives (11.7 times in sub-Saharan Africans). The rate of positive syphilis tests was three times higher in the immigrant group. For HIV the PR was 2.3 (sub-Saharan Africans 7.4). For hepatitis C the risk was lower in immigrants than in natives (PR = 0.4). CONCLUSIONS: Immigrants have a higher probability of testing positive in screening in hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV. The rates differ significantly according to the origin of the immigrant.