Prevalence of HCV infection and associated factors among
               illicit drug users in Breves, State of Pará, northern Brazil

Pacheco, Suzy Danielly Barbosa; Silva-Oliveira, Gláucia Caroline; Maradei-Pereira, Luciana Maria Cunha; Crescente, José Ângelo Barletta; Lemos, José Alexandre Rodrigues de; Oliveira-Filho, Aldemir Branco de

doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0153-2013

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Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical

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Short Communications • Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop. 47 (3) • May-Jun 2014 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0153-2013 copy

Prevalence of HCV infection and associated factors among illicit drug users in Breves, State of Pará, northern Brazil

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

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.

Hepatitis C virus; Illicit drug users; Northern Brazil

	Overall sample		Anti-HCV+			HCV-RNA+
Characteristics	n	%	n	%	OR (CI 95%)	n	%	OR (CI 95%)
Total	187		69	36.90		58	31.02
Mean age (years)	28.5			34.0			35.5
Age ≥ 35 years	60	32.1	23	38.33	1.1 (0.6 - 2.1)	21	35.00	1.3 (0.7 - 2.5)
Male	154	82.3	55	35.75	0.7 (0.3 – 1.6)	46	29.87	0.7 (0.3 - 1.6)
Supposed route of HCV infection
family member/close friend infected with hcv	19	10.2	8	42.1	1.1 (0.5 - 3.3)	7	36.8	1.3 (0.5 - 3.6)
recipient of blood transfusion	23	12.3	10	43.5	1.4 (0.6 - 3.3)	8	34.8	1.2 (0.5 - 3.0)
surgery	89	47.6	36	40.4	1.3 (0.7 - 2.4)	31	34.8	1.4 (0.7 - 2.6)
tattoos	125	66.8	63	50.4	9.5 (3.8 - 23.6)	55	44.0	15.4 (4.6 - 41.9)
shares razor blades in domestic environment	65	34.7	26	40.0	1.2 (0.6 - 2.3)	21	32.3	1.1 (0.6 - 2.1)
shares razor blades in barbershop/beauty salon	52	27.8	15	28.8	0.6 (0.3 - 1.2)	12	23.1	0.6 (0.3 - 1.2)
uses needle/glass syringe sterilized at home	48	25.7	19	39.6	1.2 (0.6 - 2.3)	18	37.5	1.5 (0.7 - 3.0)
does not use own nail clippers	121	64.7	40	33.0	0.6 (0.3 - 1.1)	35	28.9	0.8 (0.4 - 1.4)
invasive dental treatment	150	80.2	54	36.0	0.8 (0.4 - 1.7)	45	30.0	0.8 (0.4 - 1.7)
injecting drug use	37	19.8	27	39.1	6.7 (3.0 - 13.2)	27	46.6	9.8 (4.3 - 20.7)
shares paraphernalia during drug use	140	74.9	61	43.6	3.8 (1.6 - 8.6)	52	37.1	4.0 (1.7 - 10.2)
used drugs for more than three years	60	32.1	50	83.3	28.4 (12.3 - 65.6)	49	81.7	58.4 (22.8 - 79.7)
daily drug use	117	62.6	63	53.8	12.4 (5.0 - 31.0)	56	47.9	31.2 (7.3 - 65.4)
used drugs during detention in jail/prison	73	39.0	29	39.7	1.2 (0.6 - 2.2)	26	35.6	1.4 (0.76 - 2.7)
no use of prophylactic during intercourse	149	79.7	55	36.9	1.0 (0.5 - 2.10)	44	29.5	0.7 (0.3 - 1.5)
same-sex intercourse	86	46.0	26	30.2	0.6 (0.3 - 1.1)	22	25.6	0.6 (0.3 -1.2)
intercourse with a sex worker	121	64.7	40	33.0	0.6 (0.3 - 1.2)	33	27.3	0.6 (0.3 - 1.2)
sexual intercourse with another illicit drug user	124	63.3	45	36.3	0.9 (0.5 - 1.7)	36	29.0	0.8 (0.4 -1.5)
involvement in prostitution	73	39.0	20	27.4	0.7 (0.4 - 1.3)	17	23.3	0.5 (0.3 - 1.0)
more than 10 sexual partners over the past two years	103	55.1	34	33.0	0.7 (0.4 - 1.2)	26	25.2	0.5 (0.3 - 1.0)

	Model 1*		Model 2*
Risk factors	OR (CI 95%)	p-value	OR (CI 95%)	p-value
Tattoos	15.4 (4.60 - 41.9)	< 0.01	24.6 (7.2 - 46.1)	< 0.01
Injecting drug use	13.6 (5.1 - 22.3)	< 0.01	16.3 (5.1 - 28.8)	< 0.01
Sharing of paraphernalia during drug use	9.5 (2.5 - 21.4)	0.01	7.2 (1.5 - 11.3)	0.01
Drug use for more than three years	39.4 (22.8 - 78.3)	< 0.01	71.7 (24.3 - 92.1)	< 0.01
Daily drug use	31.2 (7.3 - 83.4)	< 0.01	28.9 (9.7 - 60.2)	0.02

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[1] Address to: Dr. Aldemir Branco Oliveira-Filho. Faculdade de Ciências Naturais, Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará. Al. Leandro Ribeiro, s/n. Aldeia, 68600-000 Bragança, Pará, Brasil. Phone: 55 91 3425-1593; Fax: 55 91 3425-1209. e-mail: olivfilho@ufpa.br