Needle exchange was introduced in in the late 1980s. According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, by the end of 2004 there were 3,764 diagnosed HIV cases in , of which 1,203 (32%) were probably infected through injecting drug use. In 2004, there were 365 newly diagnosed cases reported, of which 71 (20%) were infected through injecting drug use. This represents an increase in HIV among injecting drug users in 2002 (50) and 2003 (49). Two studies estimating the prevalence of blood-borne viruses among treated opiate users were published in 2005 that found between 66 and 72% of drug users tested positive for hepatitis C; 17% for hepatitis B core antigen, and 11 to 12% for HIV in two areas of Dublin [Source: http://profiles.emcdda.eu.int/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.Content&nNodeID=2918&sLanguageISO=EN ]. Additionally, has one of the highest levels of drug-related deaths in
Europe
. A newly published study now finds that “despite an increase in availability of harm reduction interventions” for ’s drug users, “the prevalence and incidence of bloodborne viruses remains high among opiate users.”
AIDS Weekly
November 28, 2005
SECTION: EXPANDED REPORTING; Pg. 7
ADDICTION MEDICINE;
New findings in the area of addiction medicine described
Investigators in , the and
have published new addiction medicine data.
Study: Drug users in remain vulnerable to bloodborne pathogens.
"Injecting drug users are at high-risk of bloodborne virus infections including hepatitis C (HCV), hepatitis B (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)," scientists in
report.
L. Grogan and colleagues,
Cherry
Orchard
Hospital
, conducted a study "to document screening for and immunization against bloodborne viruses and to determine the known prevalence and incidence of these infections."
They performed "a cross-sectional survey of clients attending 21 specialist addiction treatment clinics in 1 health board area in greater
Dublin
. Data collected on demographic characteristics, serology for HCV, HBV, and HIV and immunization against HBV" was included.
"A total of 316 (88%) had been tested for anti-HCV antibody, 244 (68%) had been tested for anti-hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), 299 (84%) had been tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and 307 (86%) had been tested for anti-HIV antibody. The prevalence of anti-HCV, anti-HBc, HBsAg, and anti-HIV was: 66%, 17%, 2% and 11% respectively."
"The incidence of HCV, HBV, and HIV infections were: 24.5, 9.0 and 3.4 per hundred person years, respectively. Eighty-one percent of those in whom it was indicated had started a targeted HBV immunization program in the clinics," researchers noted.
"The proportion of clients screened for HCV, HBV, and HIV infection has increased since the introduction of a screening protocol in 1998. Targeted vaccination for opiate users against hepatitis B is more successful than previously shown in
."
"The prevalence and incidence of bloodborne viruses remains high among opiate users attending addiction treatment services, despite an increase in availability of harm reduction interventions," Grogan and coauthors concluded.
Grogan and colleagues published their study in Irish Journal of Medical Science (Bloodborne virus infections among drug users in : a retrospective cross-sectional survey of screening, prevalence, incidence and hepatitis B immunization uptake. Ir J Med Sci, 2005;174(2):14-20).
For more information, contact L. Grogan,
Cherry
Orchard
Hospital
, Addict Service, Bridge House, Dublin 10, .
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