Sharing of drug preparation equipment as a risk factor for hepatitis C.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated the sharing of drug preparation equipment as a possible route of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission.


METHODS
HCV seroconversion was measured in a cohort of 317 injection drug users who tested negative for HCV antibody at recruitment.


RESULTS
Cumulative HCV incidence was 16.7% per year. Among those who did not share syringes, HCV seroconversion was associated with sharing drug cookers and filtration cotton (adjusted risk ratio = 5.9; 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 31.7); 54% of HCV infections in injection drug users who did not share syringes were attributable to cooker/cotton sharing.


CONCLUSIONS
Among injection drug users who do not share syringes, an important proportion of HCV infections may be attributed to cooker/cotton sharing.
Hagan
H
H
Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, 106 Prefontaine Place South, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. holly.hagan@metrokc.gov
Thiede
H
H
Weiss
N S
NS
Hopkins
S G
SG
Duchin
J S
JS
Alexander
E R
ER
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000821:virology*; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology