Seroepidemiology of Hepatitis C Among Drug Users at a Detoxification Center in Southeast China

摘要

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is prevalent worldwide, especially among drug users. The epidemiology of HCV israrely reported among drug users in developing countries, including China.Objectives: We aimed to describe the seroepidemiology of HCV infection in drug users at a Detoxification Center in Southeast China.Methods: With approval from the Shantou Center for Disease Control, the archived data of drug users (n = 5,228) at the largestmonitored-detoxification center in Shantou during 2011 - 2017 were analyzed for demographics, risk behaviors, and HCV serology.Results: Among HCV-tested drug users, 36.9% (1930/5228) were people who inject drugs (PWID). The mean annual HCV seroprevalencerate over the seven-year study period was 36.3% for all drug users, including 67.3% and 16.6% for PWID and non-PWID, respectively,with the highest prevalence (78.1%) in 2017 and the lowest prevalence (58.6%) in 2015 for PWID. Independent risk factors ofHCV infection identified by multiple logistic regression analysis were engaging in unprotected sex (OR = 1.553, 95% CI = 1.078 - 2.236),injecting drugs (10.28, 8.98 - 11.763), and sharing needles/syringes (2.24, 1.129 - 4.445) for all drug users and sharing needles/syringes(2.062, 1.438 - 2.957) for PWID.Conclusions: This study reports the seroepidemiology of drug users in the monitored Detoxification Center in Southeast China.A relatively high HCV positivity rate, especially among PWID, their high-risk behaviors and low education, and lack of institutionalinterventions of HCV monitoring and transmission call for government-sponsored educational programs to raise drug users’ awarenessof the risk of HCV infection and other co-infections and monitoring of the infectious status and treatment of HCV-infected drugusers.