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HCV infection among cocaine users in the state of Pará, Brazilian Amazon
Aldemir B Oliveira-Filho1, Leila Sawada, Laine C Pinto
1Faculdade de Ciências Naturais, Campus do Marajó, Breves, Universidade Federal do Pará, Av. Anajás, s/n. Aeroporto, Breves, PA, Brazil. olivfilho@ufpa.br
Abstract:
In this study, the prevalence, genotype frequency, and risk factors for HCV infection in 384 cocaine users were determined. One hundred twenty-four (32.3 %) cocaine users had anti-HCV antibodies and 120 (31.3 %) had HCV-RNA. Genotyping results indicated the predominance of genotypes 1 (73.3 %) and 3 (26.7 %). Multivariate analysis showed an association of HCV infection with tattoos, shared use of paraphernalia, daily cocaine use, and a long history of cocaine use. The epidemiological aspects of HCV infection among cocaine users presented here should serve as an incentive for the establishment of a program of hepatitis C prevention and control by the local public-health authorities in the Amazon.
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