Abstract

Background: Haitian migration to Chile has increased in recent years, raising public health concerns regarding viral hepatitis and HIV. Haitian migrants exhibit a distinct epidemiological profile compared to the native population, particularly for hepatitis B. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 856 Haitian-born adults residing in urban Chile from January 2018 to January 2025. Data were collected via structured interviews, physical examinations, and serological testing for HBsAg, total anti-HBc (including anti-HBc IgM), anti-HAV, anti-HEV, anti-HCV, anti-HDV, and HIV antibodies. Findings: The mean age was 34 +/- 9 years, with 56.6 % females. HBsAg positivity was 3.1 %, and anti-HBc positivity reached 34.3 %, while anti-HBc IgM was detected in 0.24 % of participants. HDV was not found in any of the anti-HBc positive samples. HAV seroprevalence was nearly universal (96.7 %), anti-HEV antibodies were present in 9.34 %, HCV prevalence was 0.36 %, and HIV-1 was identified in 1.71 %. Interpretation: Haitian migrants in Chile carry a significantly higher burden of HBV exposure and HIV infection than native Chileans, emphasizing the need for targeted screening, vaccination, and culturally sensitive public health interventions. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).