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Incidence and risk for acute hepatitis C infection during imprisonment in Australia

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

To determine hepatitis C incidence and the demographic and behavioural predictors in seronegative drug injecting prisoners. Prisoners in New South Wales, Australia who: were aged 18 years and over; reported IDU; had been continuously imprisoned; had a documented negative HCV antibody test result in prison in the last 12 months; provided written informed consent. Subjects were interviewed about their demographic characteristics and detailed risk factors for transmission prior to, and since, imprisonment. A blood sample was collected to screen for HCV antibodies by ELISA and RNA by PCR. Of 253 inmates recruited, 120 were continuously imprisoned and included in this analysis. Sixteen acquired HCV infection indicating an incidence of 34.2 per 100 person years (CI: 19.6–55.6). Risk factors for transmission included prior imprisonment, methadone treatment and greater than 10 years of education. Although the frequency of injecting was reduced in prison, 33.6% continued to inject drugs, most commonly methamphetamine, and 90% of these reported sharing injecting equipment. Prison inmates were at high risk of HCV infection, despite some reduction in high-risk behaviours and access to prevention services. To prevent HCV transmission in prisons, better prevention strategies are required.

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Abbreviations

HCV:

Hepatitis C virus

IDU:

Injecting drug use(rs)

NSW:

New South Wales

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Acknowledgments

All authors have contributed to the design, data analysis and write up of the paper. We have no conflict of interest. This work was supported by a Project Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (No. 222877) and by the University of New South Wales Hepatitis C Vaccine Initiative. The authors are independent of the funders. The study protocol was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees of Justice Health, and the Department of Corrective Services, New South Wales, Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Kate Dolan & Nicolas Scheuer

  2. Centre for Infection and Inflammation Research, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Suzy Teutsch & Andrew Lloyd

  3. School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Michael Levy

  4. Virology Division, SEALS, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia

    William Rawlinson

  5. National Centre for HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    John Kaldor

  6. Drug Health Services, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Discipline of Addiction Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Paul Haber

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  1. Kate Dolan
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  2. Suzy Teutsch
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  3. Nicolas Scheuer
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  4. Michael Levy
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  5. William Rawlinson
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  6. John Kaldor
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  7. Andrew Lloyd
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  8. Paul Haber
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Correspondence to Kate Dolan.

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Dolan, K., Teutsch, S., Scheuer, N. et al. Incidence and risk for acute hepatitis C infection during imprisonment in Australia. Eur J Epidemiol 25, 143–148 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-009-9421-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-009-9421-0

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