ABSTRACT
Hepatitis E virus [HEV] infection is endemic in Iran and some cases of fulminant hepatit with high mortality rate caused by this virus have been reported in patients with chronic hepatitis E and in pregnant women. Although HEV is mainly transmitted via fecal-oral route, but recently there have been some reports indicating transition of this virus via transfusion. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the association of hepatitis E seropositiveness and intravenous drug using in the drug users. This is an analytical-descriptive study which was conducted in a drug treatment center in Ahvaz from 2005 to 2006. A total of 114 intravenous drug users [IVDUs] and 114 inhaling addicts [IADs] were subjected to full physical examination. Subsequently a questionnaire including individual characteristics and related variations was filled in and also a blood sample was obtained. Using ELISA method, the samples were tested for anti-HEV antibody. Data were analyzed using Chi square, t and odds ration [OR] tests. The mean age of the two groups, IVDUs and IADs, were 33.24 +/- 8.04 and 31.2 +/- 7.59 years respectively, with no significant difference [P>0.05]. The mean of duration of addiction in IVDUs and IADs groups was 11.58 +/- 6.92 and 9.95 +/- 6.42 years, respectively [P>0.05]. Anti-HEV antibody was detected in 22.8% of IVDUs and 7.9% of IADs [P<0.01, OR=3.44]. There was no significant relationship between previous imprisonment and anti-HEV antibody positiveness in the drug addicts studied [P>0.05, OR=1.15]. As it was shown in this study, HEV is probably transmitted via blood transfusion and thus screening of blood donors for anti-HEV antibody may block this route of infection