Malaria in Illegal Immigrants in Southern Libya

Background and Aims: The risk of malaria re-introduction to Libya is increasing due to immigration to Libya from sub-Saharan countries where malaria is endemic. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of malaria-positive cases among illegal immigrants in the southern region of Libya. Materials and Methods: Three hundred and three illegal immigrants, with a mean age of 25.78 ± 5.92 years, from 12 different countries were included. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the presence of serum malaria antibodies. Results: One hundred and ninety-five (64.36%) of the participants tested positive for malaria antibodies. One hundred and seventy-two of the positive cases arrived in Libya within 1–10 months. The highest number of positive cases (70) came from Ghana, followed by (40) from Niger and (39) from Bangladesh. Conclusion: Illegal immigration issue should be treated urgently, combined by increasing the surveillance activities of infectious diseases to prevent malaria re-introduction to Libya.