American Journal of Public Health, Vol 91, Issue 1 42-46, Copyright © 2001 by American Public Health Association

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Sharing of drug preparation equipment as a risk factor for hepatitis C

H Hagan, H Thiede, NS Weiss, SG Hopkins, JS Duchin and ER Alexander
Seattle-King County Department of Public Health, 106 Prefontaine Place South, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. holly.hagan@metrokc.gov

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the sharing of drug preparation equipment as a possible route of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission. METHODS: HCV seroconversion was measured in a cohort of 317 injection drug users who tested negative for HCV antibody at recruitment. RESULTS: Cumulative HCV incidence was 16.7% per year. Among those who did not share syringes, HCV seroconversion was associated with sharing drug cookers and filtration cotton (adjusted risk ratio = 5.9; 95% confidence interval = 1.1, 31.7); 54% of HCV infections in injection drug users who did not share syringes were attributable to cooker/cotton sharing. CONCLUSIONS: Among injection drug users who do not share syringes, an important proportion of HCV infections may be attributed to cooker/cotton sharing.

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