title: Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B, C and G virus infections among injecting drug users on methadone maintenance treatment in Maribor.
abstract: The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hepatitis B, C, and G virus infections was determined in a selected group of 40 intravenous drug addicts on methadone maintenance treatment. No drug addict was infected with HIV. Seven drug addicts (17.5%) had serologic markers of hepatitis B infection but only one among them (2.5%) exhibited signs of active infection. 16 drug addicts (40%) had serologic markers of hepatitis C infection and 13 (32.5%) of them had an active infection with positive viral tests. 22 addicts (55%) had signs of hepatitis G infection, 9 (22.5%) of them had signs of active infection and 13 (32.5%) had signs of past infection. Addicts infected with the hepatitis B and C viruses were older and had also been taking drugs longer than those who were not infected with these two viruses. The proportion of those susceptible to infection with hepatitis B (70%) is high, reflecting a low prevalence of this disease and at the same time revealing the failure of preventive measures and the unacceptably low vaccination rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Maribor Teaching Hospital, Maribor, Slovenia. z.baklan@sb-mb.si
authors.forename: Zvonko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Baklan
authors.forename: Jelka Rebersek
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gorisek
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poljak
authors.forename: Andrej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pisec
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D029407:GB virus C; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012737:Sex Factors; D017524:Slovenia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone