High Seroprevalence of Bloodborne Viruses among Street‐Recruited Injection Drug Users from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

Injection drug use is the main mechanism of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in Argentina (40% of reported AIDS cases in Argentina). This study was conducted among street-recruited injection drug users (IDUs) from Buenos Aires, with the aim of estimating seroprevalence and coinfection of HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human T-lymphotropic viruses (HTLVs). A total of 174 volunteers participated in this study; 137 were men (78.7% of volunteers). The average age of the participants was 30 years. Only 64 of participants (37%) had no viral infection, whereas 110 (63%) were infected with > or =1 viruses. Seroprevalences were 44.3% for HIV, 54.6% for HCV, 42.5% for HBV, 2.3% for HTLV-I, and 14.5% for HTLV-II. Among the 77 HIV-infected persons, only 6.5% (5 persons) were not coinfected with other viruses; 88.3% (68) were coinfected with HCV and 68.8% (53) were coinfected with HBV. We demonstrated the existence of multiple viral infections with a high rate of prevalence in IDUs in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Hepatitis C Virus Coinfection: A Review on Necessity of Dietary Compounds for Antiretroviral Therapy

“…Similar HCV prevalence rates have been demonstrated among HIV-contaminated populations in France, Germany, Switzerland, and Greece [10]. Observation among urban IDU found coinfection prevalence rates of 84% and 88% [19][20][21].…”

Multiple infections and associated risk factors among non-injecting cocaine users in Argentina

“…The non-injecting-drug population may be at greater risk of sexual transmission of HCV as a result of increased exposure to possibly HCV-infected IDU 3,19,20 . We should also not rule out that some NICU have a history of IDU that was not reported during the interview, or another form of blood exposure with their IDU partner, such as sharing razor blades or toothbrushes.…”

“…Most studies on the prevalence of infections that are either bloodborne or sexually acquired among drug users in Argentina have been conducted among injecting drug users (IDU), over 95% of whom inject cocaine. Several studies have demonstrated a high seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) 2,3,4,5 among the drug-injecting population. Cocaine, which was regarded several decades ago as a drug consumed exclusively by affluent people, has now extended into low-income sectors that were formerly far from its reach.…”

Human immunodeficiency virus, AIDS, and drug consumption in South America and the Caribbean: epidemiological evidence and initiatives to curb the epidemic

“…The results yielded an HIV seroprevalence of 44.3%. Only 6.5% of the HIV-infected IDUs were not co-infected with other viruses; 88.3% of them were coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 68.6% with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (49). A survey carried out in four different regions of Argentina (Córdoba, Rosario, Mar del Plata, and Buenos Aires) corroborated these findings, and reinforced the disquieting picture of high levels of sharing of injection equipment and high rates of HIV infection among IDUs from all four sites (50).…”