High Hepatitis C Virus Prevalence Among Drug Users in Iran: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Epidemiological Evidence (2001-2012) Publisher Pubmed



Malekinejad M^{1, 2} ; Navadeh S^{2, 3} ; Lotfizadeh A¹ ; Rahimimovaghar A⁴ ; Aminesmaeili M⁵ ; Noroozi A³
Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases Published:2015

Abstract

Objective: Drug users, particularly drug injectors, are at elevated risk of blood-borne diseases. This study systematically reviewed the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infection and its co-infections with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) in drug users in Iran. Methods: Searches were conducted in international, regional, and Iranian databases. Documents were screened, data extracted, and pooled point prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results: Overall, 13 821 subjects (87.4% male) with an average age of 32.4 years (95% CI 31-33 years) from 24 original studies were included in the analysis. The pooled HCV prevalence (95% CI) among drug users with and without an injection history was 45% (37-54%) and 8% (4-13%), respectively. The pooled HCV prevalences (95% CI) among individuals with vs. without a history of imprisonment and needle sharing were 58% (39-77%) vs. 44% (20-68%) and 56% (41-71%) vs. 49% (26-71%), respectively. The prevalence of HCV/HIV co-infection among injectors was 11% (95% CI 5-16%). Conclusions: HCV prevalence is high in drug users in Iran, especially among those with a history of injection drug use, needle sharing, and imprisonment. Drug user-focused HCV prevention and treatment programs are urgently needed. © 2015 The Authors.