Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Syphilis in Immigrants and the Canadian Immigration Medical Examination

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Immigrants to Canada must undergo screening for syphilis. This study presents the results of syphilis screening from 2000 to 2004 and describes its impact on Canadian syphilis reporting and epidemiology. The study identifies migrant groups at risk of syphilis disease.

Methods

All permanent resident applicants 15 years of age or older; younger individuals who have syphilis risk factors, and long-term temporary resident applicants are required to have non-treponemal syphilis screening done. Reactive results were confirmed. Immigration-related syphilis screening results were analyzed for year, migrant origin, migrant age and classification.

Results

A total of 2,209 individuals were found with positive syphilis serology from the screening of 2,001,417 applicants. The sex ratio of positive cases was M:F = 1.4. Rates per 100,000 applicants were: refugees 286, refugee claimants 267, family class187, temporary residents 85, and economic class 63. Age and geographic distribution reflected sexual transmission, known international prevalence, and the Canadian processes of immigration.

Conclusions

Certain immigration class applicants from syphilis high-prevalence source countries are a significant source of syphilis notifications in Canada. Identifiable populations and the immigration application medical processes represent global public health policy and program opportunities at the national level.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. MacPherson DW, Gushulak BD. The basic principles of migration health. population mobility across prevalence gaps and disparity. Emerg Themes Epidemiol 2006;3:3 doi:10.1186/1742-7622-3-3.

  2. World Health Organization. Department of HIV/AIDS. Incidence of selected curable sexually transmitted infections. Available at: http://www.who.int/docstore/hiv/GRSTI/002.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  3. World Health Organization. Global incidence and prevalence of selected curable sexually transmitted infections. Overview and estimates. 2001. WHO/HIV_AIDS 2001.02. Available at: http://www.whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2001/WHO_HIV_AIDS_2001.02.pdf (accessed November 10, 2006).

  4. Laboratory-based evaluation of rapid syphilis diagnostics. Diagnostic Evaluation Series No. 1. The Sexually Transmitted Diseases Diagnostic Initiative. (SDI) UNDP/World Bank/WHO. Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR). Available at: http://www.who.int/std_diagnostics/publications/meetings/SDI_Report.pdf (accessed November 10, 2006).

  5. World Health Organization. Department of HIV/AIDS. Global prevalence and incidence of selected curable sexually transmitted infections. Syphilis. Available at: http://www.who.int/docstore/hiv/GRSTI/005.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  6. Renton AM, Borisenko KK, Heheus A, Gramyko A. Epidemic of syphilis in the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union. Sex Trans Infect 1998;74:165–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2001 Supplement. Available at url: http://www.cdc.gov/std/Syphilis2001/2001SyphSuppText.pdf (accessed November 10, 2006).

  8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Resurgent bacterial sexually transmitted disease among men who have sex with men—King County, Washington, 1997–1999. MMWR 1999;48:773–7.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Primary and secondary syphilis—United States, 2000–2001. MMWR 2002;51:971–3.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Simms I, Fenton KA, Ashton M, Turner KME, Crawley-Boevey E, Gorton R, et al. The re-emergence of syphilis in the UK: the new epidemic phases. Sex Transm Dis 2005;32:220–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fenton KA. A multilevel approach to understanding the resurgence and evolution of infectious syphilis in Western Europe. Euro Surveill 2004;9:3–4.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Health Canada. STI Epi-Update. February 2002. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/epiu-aepi/std-mts/infsyph_e.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  13. Public Health Agency of Canada. 2002 Canadian Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Surveillance Report: Pre-Release. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/stddata_pre06_04/index.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  14. Reynolds DL, Evangelista F, Ward BM, Notenboon RH, Young ER, D’Cunha CO. Syphilis in an urban community. Can J Public Health 1998;89:248–252.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Citizenship and Immigration Canada. CIC’s Mandate, Mission, and Vision. Available at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/mission.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  16. Statistics Canada. Immigration status by period of immigration, 2001 counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories—20% sample data. Available at: http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/Immigration/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&View=1&Table=1&StartRec=1&Sort=2&B1=Counts ) (accessed November 10, 2006).

  17. Public Health Agency of Canada. Tuberculosis among the foreign-born in Canada. CCDR 2003;29:10–6. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/ccdr-rmtc/03vol29/dr2902eb.html (accessed 4 November 2006).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Immigrant and Refugee Protection Act (2001, c.27) Canadian Consolidated Statures and Regulations. Available at: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/I-2.5/64755.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  19. Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Designated Medical Practitioners’ Handbook. Available at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pub/dmp%2Dhandbook/index.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  20. Gushulak BD, MacPherson DW. Globalization of infectious diseases: the impact of migration. Clin Infect Dis 2004;38:1742–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. MacPherson DW, Zencovich M, Gushulak BD. Emerging pediatric HIV epidemic related to migration. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2006 Apr. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no04/05-1025.htm.

  22. MacPherson DW, Zencovich M, Gushulak BD. Emerging pediatric HIV epidemic related to migration. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2006 Apr. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no04/05-1025.htm (accessed November 10, 2006).

  23. Gushulak BD, MacPherson DW. Health issues associated with the smuggling and trafficking of migrants. J Immigrant Health 2000;2:67–78.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Designated Country/Territory List. Available at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/dcl.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  25. Public Health Agency of Canada. Canadian STD Guidelines. 1998 Edition. Available at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/std-mts98/pdf/std98_e.pdf (accessed November 10, 2006).

  26. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Modern Comptrollership. Available at: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/cmo_mfc/index_e.asp (accessed November 10, 2006).

  27. Department of Justice Canada. Consolidated Statutes and Regulations. Access to Information Act. Available at: http://www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/a-1/text.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  28. Department of Justice Canada. Consolidated Statutes and Regulations. Privacy Act. Chapter P-21. Available from: http://www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/p-21/93543.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  29. Department of Justice Canada. Consolidated Statutes and Regulations. Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. 2001, c.5. Available from: http://www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/p-8.6/91355.html (accessed November 10, 2006).

  30. Leder K, Tong S, Weld L, Kain KC, Wilder-Smith A, von Sonnenburg F, et al. Illness in travelers visiting friends and relatives: a review of the geosentinel surveillance network. Clin Infect Dis 2006;43:1185–1193.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Migration Health Consultants Inc., 14130 Creditview Road, Cheltenham, ON, Canada, L7C 1Y4

    Douglas W. MacPherson & Brian D. Gushulak

  2. Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Douglas W. MacPherson

Authors
  1. Douglas W. MacPherson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brian D. Gushulak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Douglas W. MacPherson.

Additional information

Disclaimer: The paper was prepared in personal capacity; the analysis, and opinions expressed are those of the authors and are not to be attributed to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration or the Government of Canada, and do not necessarily reflect nor represent the position of any government department, agency, university or professional society to which the authors may belong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

MacPherson, D.W., Gushulak, B.D. Syphilis in Immigrants and the Canadian Immigration Medical Examination. J Immigrant Minority Health 10, 1–6 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9055-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9055-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation