Health screening of Indochinese refugee children
B. S. Tittle, J. A. Harris, P. A. Chase, R. E. Morrell, R. J. Jackson and S. Y. Espinoza
The first 100 Indochinese refugee patients screened at Oakland (Calif)
Children's Hospital had a remarkably high incidence of treatable infectious
and parasitic diseases. The PPD skin tests were positive in 28%, and stool
parasites were present in 65%. There were wide differences among the
various ethnic groups in prevalence of stool parasites, anemia, and
hemoglobin E trait, with a higher rate among Cambodians accounting for
these differences. There were also differences in stool parasite patterns
when the refugees were separated by ethnic origin. Cambodians had
predominantly hookworm and Strongyloides, Laotians harbored hookworm and
Trichuris, and Vietnamese were infested with Trichuris and Giardia.
Malaria. Pott's disease, and congenital syphilis were among the uncommonly
encountered diseases. Results of screening will vary with ethnic origin,
but health screening has a high yield for all Indochinese refugees.
