1.
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop
; 47(3): 367-70, 2014.
Artigo
em Inglês
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24728470
RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Illicit drug users (DUs) are vulnerable to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The shared use of illicit drugs is the main method of HCV transmission. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Breves, in northern Brazil. We surveyed 187 DUs to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with HCV infection. RESULTS: The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 36.9%, and the prevalence of hepatitis C virus-ribonucleic acid (HCV-RNA) was 31%. Hepatitis C virus infection was associated with tattoos, intravenous drug use, shared use of equipment for drug use, drug use for longer than 3 years, and daily drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Strategies for preventing and controlling HCV transmission should be implemented among DUs.