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Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA
Published on: December 15, 2023
Hepatitis C virus infection and related risk factors among injection drug users in Montenegro
Valerio Baćak1, Dragan Laušević, Boban Mugoša
1Department of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. vbacak@sas.upenn.edu
Background:
In Southeastern Europe, similar to other postsocialist regions on the continent, injection drug users (IDU) are exposed to a high risk of blood-borne infections. In this paper, we report the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C (HCV) and hepatitis B (HBV) among IDUs in Montenegro. We also examine the risk factors associated with HCV diagnosis.
Methods:
In 2008, 322 IDUs in Montenegro participated in a respondent-driven sampling survey. Blood specimens were collected and tested for HIV, HCV and HBV. Behavioral data were collected with self-administered questionnaires.
Results:
In comparison to 2005, HCV prevalence had increased from an estimated 22 to 53.7%. Only one HIV and no HBV cases were detected. Anti-HCV positivity was associated with the region of origin, income, sharing injection equipment and frequency of injecting drugs.
Conclusion:
The increasing HCV prevalence among IDUs in Montenegro calls for increased and better designed programs to prevent its further spread and a potential HIV outbreak.
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