Since 2005, California law allowed over-the-counter (OTC) syringe sales pending local authorization. Although pharmacy sales of OTC syringes are associated with reduced injection-mediated risks and decreases in human immunodeficiency virus infection rates, little is known about the factors associated with syringe purchase among injection drug users (IDUs). Using a cross-sectional design, the au...

Injecting drug users (IDUs) play an important role in spreading HIV as amply documented in several developing countries (1). India has also experienced a similar type of HIV spread among IDUs, which was detected for the first time in Manipur, a northeastern state of India bordering Myanmar, in 1990 (2). Soft tissue infections, including abscesses and cellulites, are the major complications, whi...

Data on newly diagnosed HIV infections and HIV prevalence in 2005 to 2010 suggest falling infection rates in injecting drug users (IDUs) in the European Union (EU). However, recent increases in HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates in IDUs suggest increasing injecting risks in some countries. The coverage of effective prevention measures has increased, but is still low in several coun...

The technique of intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) of the bile duct with a thin-caliber probe and a ropeway system has provided excellent images of the bile duct and periductal structures and is an easy transpapillary approach. In addition, once the guide wire is inserted into the bile duct, IDUS and transpapillary biopsy after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography can be performed in...

Background: Despite the implementation of harm reduction program, some injecting drug users (IDU) continue to engage in high-risk behaviors. It seems that there are some social factors that contribute to risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in IDUs. The aim of this study was to analysis the social network of IDUs and examines the effect of network location on HIV transmission...

BACKGROUND Injecting drugs is the major driving force of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic in Northeastern India. We have assessed the spatial distribution of locations where injecting drug users (IDU) congregate, as well as the risk behaviour and key characteristics of IDUs to develop new strategies strengthening intervention measures for HIV prevention in this region. METHODS Loca...

BACKGROUND The incidence of hepatitis C (HCV) infection among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Dublin is particularly high by international standards. The most robust predictor of an IDU's HCV status is his or her total number of lifetime injecting episodes. It has been proposed that participation in specific unsafe injecting practices is the principal contributor to this accumulated risk. We sou...

We describe an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among injection drug users (IDUs). From August 1994 through December 1999, we registered 31 IDUs with MRSA infections (12 with soft-tissue infection, 7 with pneumonia [fatal in 1], 7 with endocarditis [fatal in 1], 2 with osteomyelitis, 2 with septic arthritis, and 1 with ulcerative tonsillitis), with a marked increas...

The epidemiology of HIV infection in Spain has changed during the past decade. Surveillance of HIV infection occurs in 15 of the country’s 17 regions, and 2,264 new HIV infections were diagnosed in 2009 (Ministerio de Sanidad y Política Social, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, 2010). As previously reported (Hernandez-Aguado, 1999), the HIV epidemic in Spain has been largely driven by injecti...

OBJECTIVE In this paper, we review evidence of HCV prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) worldwide. METHODS We undertook a desk-based review of both 'grey' and published literature released between 1998 and 2005. RESULTS Data on HCV prevalence among IDUs was found in 57 countries and in 152 sub-national areas. We found reports of HCV prevalence of at least 50% among IDUs in 49 countr...