Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and its related risk factors in drug abuser prisoners in Hamedan--Iran.
OBJECTIVE
Recent studies in Iran has shown that prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among Iranian prisoners is high, in spite of low HCV seroprevalence in general population.


METHODS
This study was carried out in the central prison of Hamedan--Iran, in year 2002. Inmates were interviewed using a standard questionnaire including demographic, imprisonment history and HCV-related risk behaviors items. Thereafter, the sera drawn from the participants were tested for anti-HIV and anti-HCV antibodies.


RESULTS
A total number of 427 drug abuser inmates participated in our study. Three hundred and ninety-seven (93%) were men and 30 (7%) were women. Total number of IV drug abusers (IDA) and non-IV drug abusers (NIDA) was 149 (34.9%) and 278 (65.1%), respectively. The overall rate of antibody positivity among inmates was 0.9% for HIV and 30% for HCV. Of all IDAs, 31.5% and of NIDAs, 29.1% had serological evidence of HCV infection.


CONCLUSIONS
The seroprevalence of HCV infection among drug abuser prisoners in comparison with the general population in Iran, is very high (30% vs in italics 0.2%). Our results indicate the importance of policies to prevent transmission of HCV infection during and following incarceration.
Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, 7th Floor, Taleghani Hospital, Yaman Str., Evin, Tehran 19857, Iran. article@rcgld.org
Amir Houshang
AH
Mohammad Alizadeh
Seyed Moayed
SM
Alavian
Khalil
K
Jafari
Nastaran
N
Yazdi
D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners; D012309:Risk-Taking; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000821:virology*