Sharing of drug preparation equipment as a risk factor for hepatitis C.

Hagan, H; Thiede, H; Weiss, N S; Hopkins, S G; Duchin, J S; Alexander, E R · Am J Public Health · 2001

prospective_cohort · Level II

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Abstract

This study investigated the sharing of drug preparation equipment as a possible route of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission. HCV seroconversion was measured in a cohort of 317 injection drug users who tested negative for HCV antibody at recruitment. Cumulative HCV incidence was 16.7% per year. Among those who did not share syringes, HCV seroconversion was associated with sharing drug cookers and filtration cotton (adjusted risk ratio = 5.9; 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 31.7); 54% of HCV infections in injection drug users who did not share syringes were attributable to cooker/cotton sharing. Among injection drug users who do not share syringes, an important proportion of HCV infections may be attributed to cooker/cotton sharing.

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