Author/Editor		Baklan, Zvonko; Reberšek-Gorišek, Jelka; Poljak, Mario; Pišec, Andrej
Title		Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B, C and G virus infections among injecting drug users on methadone maintenance treatment in Maribor
Type		članek
Source		Wien Klin Wochenschr
Vol. and No.		Letnik 116, št. Suppl 2
Publication year		2004
Volume		str. 5-7
Language		eng
Abstract		The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hepatitis B, C, and G virus infections was determined in a selected group of 40 intravenous drug addicts on methadone maintenance treatment. No drug addict was infected with HIV. Seven drug addicts (17.5%) had serologic markers of hepatitis B infection but only one among them (2.5%) exhibited signs of active infection. 16 drug addicts (40%) had serologic markers of hepatitis C infection and 13 (32.5%) of them had an active infection with positive viral tests. 22 addicts (55%) had signs of hepatitis G infection, 9 (22.5%) of them had signs of active infection and 13 (32.5%) had signs of past infection. Addicts infected with the hepatitis B and C viruses were older and had also been taking drugs longer than those who were not infected with these two viruses. The proportion of those susceptible to infection with hepatitis B (70%) is high, reflecting a low prevalence of this disease and at the same time revealing the failure of preventive measures and the unacceptably low vaccination rate.
Descriptors		SUBSTANCE ABUSE, INTRAVENOUS METHADONE HEPATITIS, VIRAL, HUMAN HIV INFECTIONS PREVALENCE HEPATITIS B HEPATITIS C ANTIBODIES, VIRAL CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES