Hepatitis C Transmission in Injection Drug Users: Could Swabs Be the Main Culprit?

[Guest guest]

J Infect Dis. 2011 Oct 19. [Epub ahead of print]

Hepatitis C Transmission in Injection Drug Users: Could Swabs Be the Main

Culprit?

Thibault V, Bara JL, Nefau T, Duplessy-Garson C.

Source

Virology Laboratory, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique, and Pierre

et Marie Curie University.

Abstract

Prevention programs for intravenous drug users have proven their efficacy in

decreasing human immunodeficiency virus transmission but have limited effect on

hepatitis C virus (HCV) contamination. A study was conducted to document the

presence of HCV genome (HCV RNA) in 620 items of used injecting paraphernalia

collected from representative sites. Using sensitive molecular techniques, HCV

RNA was not detected on used filters or water vials and was seldom detected on

cups (9%). However, HCV RNA was frequently found on syringe pools (38%) and on

swabs (82%) at high titers. Our investigation, which was conducted in real

injecting settings, highlights swabs as a potential source for HCV transmission.

PMID: 22013222 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]