Injecting drug users (IDUs) are the largest risk group for HCV infection. Studying injecting by classical epidemiological methods is no easy task, largely due to its hidden nature and low prevalence in general population terms. Thus, mathematical modelling can be of major help in performing a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the costs and possible impact of the various interventions a...

A fatal case of anthrax occurred in an injecting drug user in Germany, in December 2009. A potential link to similar cases in Scotland in the same time period is currently under investigation.

Wound botulism is a growing problem among injecting drug users. The condition is often difficult to diagnose, with laboratory confirmation in only 50% of the cases. Here we present a real-time PCR-based method for the diagnosis of wound botulism caused by Clostridium botulinum. The assay includes an internal amplification control which is amplified simultaneously with the genes encoding neuroto...

Background & objectives: Female sex workers (FSWs) of north-east India form a unique group as they are exposed to an enormous injecting drug user (IDU) clientele. This association makes them more vulnerable to blood borne viral infections. Over and above some of them also indulge in drug injecting practices along with their partners. The present study was carried out on FSWs to assess the preva...

BACKGROUND A nascent HIV epidemic and high prevalence of risky drug practices were detected among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2005-2006. We assessed prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), syphilis, and needle and syringe program (NSP) use among this population. METHODS IDUs were recruited between June, 2007 and March, 2009 a...

Second Generation sub-population HIV Surveillance was undertaken in Kashgar City and Shache County, Xinjiang, Peoples Republic of China between December 2003 and January 2004, targeting injecting and mixed method drug users and pregnant and postnatal women. The study aimed to determine the extent to which the epidemic is shifting from a concentrated stage to a more generalised epidemic. One hun...

In 2005, members of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) formed the Injection Support Team (IST). A community-based research project examined this drug-user-led intervention through observation of team activities, over 30 interviews with team members, and 9 interviews with people reached by the team. The IST is composed of recognized "hit doctors," who perform outreach in the open d...

Given the economic and health costs of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and the ongoing transmission within the injecting drug user (IDU) population, there is a need for improved understanding of HCV epidemiology within this risk group. We employed a recently developed method based on phylogenetic analysis to infer HCV epidemic history and to provide the first estimates of the rate of spread ...

human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) is a public health challenge facing both developing and developed nations. although injecting drug use is even the main route of hiv transmission in iran, sexual route is rising gradually. vulnerable women have been considered as important bridging population for driving hiv epidemics. to increase the access to vulnerable women, in 2007, 5 pilot centers were e...