Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 20, 2025
11:28
Dried Blood Spots - Preparing and Processing for Use in Immunoassays and in Molecular Techniques
Published on: March 13, 2015
40.2K
Decrease in active hepatitis C infection among people who use drugs in Madrid, Spain, 2017 to 2023: a retrospective
Pablo Ryan1,2,3,4, Jorge Valencia5,1,2, Guillermo Cuevas2
1Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Summary
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection rates significantly decreased among people who use drugs (PWUD) in Madrid from 2017-2023. This decline, especially notable in people who inject drugs (PWID), indicates successful public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Background:
- People who use drugs (PWUD) are a critical population for reducing the burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
- Understanding risk factors and temporal trends of HCV infection within this demographic is essential for effective public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the risk factors associated with active HCV infection in PWUD.
- To analyze the temporal trends of active HCV infection prevalence among PWUD in Madrid, Spain, between 2017 and 2023.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study involving 2,264 PWUD visiting a mobile screening unit from 2017 to 2023.
- Data collection via a 92-item questionnaire covering epidemiology, substance use, and sexual risk behavior.
- HCV detection using antibody and RNA tests, with active infection prevalence analyzed by logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Active HCV infection prevalence decreased significantly from 23.4% in 2017 to 6.0% in 2023 across all PWUD.
- A notable downward trend was observed in people who inject drugs (PWID), decreasing from 41.0% to 15.0%.
- Logistic regression confirmed these downward trends, with adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of 0.78 for the overall population, PWID, and PWUD non-IDU.
Conclusions:
- A substantial reduction in active HCV infection prevalence among PWUD, particularly PWID, was demonstrated.
- These findings suggest that public health efforts in HCV prevention and treatment in Madrid have been effective in controlling HCV infection within this key population.
