title: Vulnerability of homeless people in Tehran, Iran, to HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Homeless people are at risk of contracting communicable infectious diseases, as they indulge in risky behaviours and lifestyle. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of the aforementioned infections and related risk behaviours among homeless people in Tehran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study a convenience sample of 593 homeless individuals was studied. The ELISA method was used for the detection of HIV, HCV and HBV. Clinical symptoms, sputum cultures, acid fast bacilli smears, and chest X-rays were used to identify active pulmonary tuberculosis, and the Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) test was used to identify latent tuberculosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and latent tuberculosis was 3.4%, 2.6%, 23.3% and 46.7%, respectively. Active pulmonary tuberculosis was found in 7 persons (1.2%). Injection drug use was an independent risk factor for HIV, HCV and HBV infections. Older people had a higher proportion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (OR: 2.6, 95%CI: 1.9, 3.7) and HCV positivity (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings highlighted that much more attention needs to be paid to the health of homeless people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Epidemiology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fahimeh Bagheri
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Amiri
authors.affiliation: Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gouya
authors.affiliation: Department of Tuberculosis and Lung Research, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saifi
authors.affiliation: Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rohani
authors.affiliation: Mycobacteriology Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Payam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tabarsi
authors.affiliation: Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sedaghat
authors.affiliation: Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Noushin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fahimfar
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatitis & AIDS, Pasteur institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Memarnejadian
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatitis & AIDS, Pasteur institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Aghasadeghi
authors.affiliation: Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Akbar
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Haghdoost
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jahanbakhsh
authors.affiliation: Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahshid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nasehi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Regional Knowledge Hub, and WHO Collaborating Centre for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; Research Centre for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases (Akanlu), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Kabudar Ahang, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Ehsan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mostafavi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult