2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Online Program

316566
Incidence and prevalence of hepatitis c virus infection among persons who inject drugs in New York City: 2006-2013


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

Ashly Jordan, MPH, New York University, New York, NY
Don C. Des Jarlais, PhD, The Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
Kamyar Arasteh, PhD, The Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
Courtney McKnight, DrPH, The Baron Edmond de Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
Denis Nash, PhD, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Urban Public Health, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY
David C. Perlman, MD, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York, NY
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: To assess trends in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among people who inject drugs (PWID) from 2006-2013 in New York City (NYC).

Methods: Annual cross-sectional seroprevalence surveys of PWID entering a large drug abuse treatment program in NYC. Risk behavior questionnaires were administered, and HIV and HCV testing were conducted. Comparisons were made with prior prevalence data and incidence estimates in 1990-91 and 2000-01 reflecting different periods of combined prevention and treatment efforts.

Results: HCV prevalence among PWID (N: 1,535) was 67% (95% CI: 66-70%) during the study period, and was not significantly different from that observed in 2000-2001. The estimated HCV incidence among new injectors (persons injecting for up to 6 years) during 2006-2013 was 19.5/100 PYO (95% CI: 17-23) and did not differ from the estimated incidence among new injectors in 2000-2001 of 18/100 PYO (95% CI: 14-23/100). There was no significant difference in the estimated annual HCV incidence in each year of study period.

Conclusions: During the study period in which combined prevention programming was associated with a significant decrease in HIV prevalence, HCV prevalence remained high. The estimated HCV incidence among new injectors also remained high, and was not significantly lower than in 2000-2001, indicating that expanded combined prevention efforts are urgently needed to control the HCV epidemic among PWID in NYC.

Learning Areas:

Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the prevalence of hepatitis C virus among different groups of people who use drugs in New York City. Identify trends in the prevalence of hepatitis C virus among people who use drugs in New York City.

Keyword(s): Hepatitis C, Drug Abuse

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a public health Doctoral student in epidemiology and a public health researcher with almost 10 years of research and direct service experience with people who inject drugs and the prevention and treatment of injection-related infections.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3114.0: Co-occurring substance use, HIV and/or hepatitis C