Academic Journal
View in EDS

Burden of HIV and hepatitis B and C viruses in incoming Venezuelan migrants at the Colombian border: a laboratory-based cross-sectional study, 2021-2023.

Bibliographic Details
Title: Burden of HIV and hepatitis B and C viruses in incoming Venezuelan migrants at the Colombian border: a laboratory-based cross-sectional study, 2021-2023.
Authors: Lehmann F; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany., Martínez-Vega RA; School of Medicine, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia., Moreira-Soto A; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany., Becerra-Mojica CH; School of Medicine, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia., Rincón-Orozco B; School of Medicine, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia., Drexler JF; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Virology, Berlin, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: felix.drexler@charite.de.
Source: Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases [Clin Microbiol Infect] 2026 Jul; Vol. 32 (7), pp. 1165-1170. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Apr 08.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Elsevier Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9516420 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1469-0691 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1198743X NLM ISO Abbreviation: Clin Microbiol Infect Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Publication: 2015- : London : Elsevier
Original Publication: Paris : Decker Europe, c1995-
MeSH Terms: HIV Infections*/epidemiology , Transients and Migrants*/statistics & numerical data , Hepatitis C*/epidemiology , Hepatitis B*/epidemiology, Venezuela/epidemiology ; Venezuela/ethnology ; Colombia/epidemiology ; Hepacivirus/genetics ; Hepatitis B virus/genetics ; Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Prevalence ; Adolescent
Abstract: Objectives: The socioeconomic crisis in Venezuela has urged many to seek refuge elsewhere, primarily in Colombia. The vulnerability to and epidemiology of blood-borne viruses causing chronic infections such as HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in incoming migrants at the Colombian border remain uncertain, which we aimed to elucidate.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 2469 adult Venezuelan migrants during 2021 (n= 1582) and 2023 (n= 887) encountered at governmental and nongovernmental organizations providing food and social services in Bucaramanga and Cúcuta, Colombia, close to the Venezuelan border. Demographic data and blood samples were collected and analysed by molecular, serological and bioinformatic tools.
Results: The age- and sex-weighted HIV prevalence was 1.2% (95% CI: 0.6-1.7; 16/1650) and was significantly higher in men than in women (2.0% [95% CI: 0.8-3.2; 11/501] vs. 0.4% [95% CI: 0.0-0.7; 5/1149], p 0.002). Median HIV viral load was 3.9 log10 IU/mL (range: 2.2-5.1 log10 IU/mL). HIV infections were almost exclusively detected in migrants without health insurance. Viral genomes clustered with phylogenetically diverse HIV-1 group M subtype B strains from Colombia and Venezuela, refuting regional point-source acquisition. In silico susceptibility to antiviral drugs suggested lack of treatment access. The adjusted HBV prevalence in migrants was low (0.8%, 95% CI: 0.4-1.2; 12/1647), with median viral loads of 3.3 log10 IU/mL (range: 2.5-3.6 log10 IU/mL). The HCV estimate was also low (0.5%, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8; 10/2406) with median viral loads of 5.3 log10 IU/mL (range: 4.9-6.0 log10 IU/mL). Both HBV and HCV rates were comparable to Colombian population-level estimates, whereas HIV rates in migrants were 2x higher. No coinfections of HIV, HBV, or HCV were found. High levels of HIV but not HCV suggested predominantly sexual transmission rather than illicit drug use or contaminated blood transfusions.
Conclusions: Our data revealed a high burden of HIV, but not HBV and HCV in incoming Venezuelan migrants. Implementation of testing, educational, and prophylactic programmes in this highly vulnerable population at the border region is imperative.
(Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Colombia; HIV; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis C virus; Migrants; Venezuela
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260410 Date Completed: 20260612 Latest Revision: 20260612
Update Code: 20260613
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2026.03.043
PMID: 41962658
Database: MEDLINE
Description
ISSN:1469-0691
DOI:10.1016/j.cmi.2026.03.043