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Romanian Immigrants Bring Tuberculosis – Italian Doctors

Italian doctors are concerned with the reoccurrence of tuberculosis, claiming the disease is brought to Italy mainly by Romanian immigrants, after the liberalization of movement in the European Union.
Romanian Immigrants Bring Tuberculosis – Italian Doctors
27 oct. 2008, 16:20, English

“Tuberculosis is not gone; it is returning to Italy from the East, after the opening of EU borders,” said Italian doctors, reunited in Genoa for the national congress, Corriere della Sera informed online.
 
"There is no need to panic," the Italian specialists said, recommending that authorities show “caution” and perform medical tests on immigrants suspected of carrying this disease. "The number of tuberculosis cases is not decreasing, and the sources are Eastern European immigrants," Italian doctors explained.
 
According to the Italian national statistics institute (ISTAT), the country currently has 4,500 cases registered and some 1,500 unregistered cases.
 
"Our data indicate that 50% of new cases are registered among immigrants, especially eastern Europeans," said Luigi Ruffo Codecasa, representative of the Center for the fight against tuberculosis in Milan.
 
Italian experts warn that the most difficult situation is in Romania, where, according to them there are 50 cases of tuberculosis for every 100,000 citizens. Other countries seen as risks from this perspective include Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria.
 
Italian doctors said it would be impossible to test and vaccinate all immigrants and proposed the performance of medical tests only on foreigners who present an important risk, adding they are prepared to work with the institutions of the state to test the health of immigrants in the main Italian cities.