High level of immunity against poliomyelitis in Albanian refugees in southern Italy

Abstract

Background: The Apulia region (Southern Italy) may be considered a "border region" which, due to its position, has to face daily arrivals of refugees, especially from Albania. When the exodus of Albanians took place in 1991, a seroepidemiologic study revealed a low seroimmunity to poliomyelitis. In 1996, a large outbreak of paralytic poliomyelitis occurred in Albania. The aim of the study was to evaluate the poliomyelitis immunization level in a sample of Albanian refugees who arrived in the Apulia region between April and May 1997.

Methods: Blood samples were obtained, after informed consent and on a voluntary basis, from 667 subjects housed in seven refugee camps in the Apulia region. Titration of neutralizing antibodies to the three polioviruses was carried out.

Results: The findings showed that Albanian refugees had adequate levels of immunity to all polioviruses (95% for poliovirus type 1, 98.6% for poliovirus type 2 and 91.4% for poliovirus type 3). Moreover, a high immunization rate was found in all age groups irrespective of the areas of origin of the refugees and their socioeconomic conditions.

Conclusion: Our findings show that Albanian refugees in Apulia region have adequate levels of immunity against polioviruses and confirm the effectiveness of mass vaccination campaigns with OPV conducted by WHO in Albania following an outbreak of poliomyelitis in 1996.