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Table INF-2. Prevalence of HCV antibody among injecting drug users in the EU, 2005 or most recent year available - Summary table by country

Country	Year	Number tested	% infected (1)	Study design (2)	Setting/comments (2) (3) (4) (5)	References
Belgium	2005	375	[50.0-80.7]	DT	LTS, DTC; serum	8 ; 14
Bulgaria	2005	815	[53.6]	DT	DTC, NSP, LTS, HTC; serum	2 ; 3
Czech Republic	2002-03	1853	52.0 [29.7]	DT ; SP	LTS, PRI; IDUnkT; serum	3 ; 4
Denmark	2005	220	58.0	SP (UAT)	ODD; All drug related deaths who have a blood sample taken at autopsy; IDUnk	7
Germany	2004	1134	[75.0]	n.a.	Vacination study; serum, IDUnk	24
Estonia	2002	100	[89.2-90.5]	SP	LTS	3
Ireland	2003	65	[72.3]	SP	DTC; serum	14
Greece	2005	1881	43.3-61.7 [21.4-88.2]	DT	DTC, LTS, OHC, PHL; serum	1 ; 2 ; 9
Spain	2003	669	[59.1-73.3]	SP	STR, Heroin users age 30 or less recruited in community. Injectors+non injectors. Dried blood spots.	29 ; 34
France	2004	817	[44.0-66.0]	SP (UAT)	n.a.	19
Italy	2005	75213	61.4 [18.1-92.3]	DT	DTC, PRI; saliva, serum; IDUnk	31
Cyprus	2004	98	9.1	DT	DTC, PRI; serum	1
Latvia	2001	261	[83.0]	n.a.	NSP	2
Lithuania	2005	923	[81.8-93.7]	DT	NSP, LTS, DTC; serum, dried blood spots	5 ; 8
Luxembourg	2005	536	71.8-90.7	SP	DTC, NSP, LTS, STI, ANT, OHC, PRI; serum	6
Hungary	2005	82	11.0	DT	PHL; serum; IDUnk	1
Malta	2005	138	30.4	DT	DTC; serum	3
Netherlands	2005	89	[64.6]	SP	DTC, LTS; serum	27
Austria	2005	501	48.0 [17.2-58.6]	DT	LTS, PHL, GPS, HTC, ODD, DTC, NSP; serum	6 ; 7 ; 8 ; 10 ; 11
Poland	2005	347	[43.7-64.0]	SP	DTC, LTS, PRI; serum	5 ; 6
Portugal	2005	5897	38.4-84.3	DT	DTC, Detoxification units, Outpatient units, Therapeutic communities, Public detoxification units; serum, dried blood spots; IDUnk	23 ; 24
Romania	2005	177	[45.8]	DT ; SP	DTC; serum	2
Slovenia	2004	467	22.5	DT	DTC; serum	1
Slovakia	2004	72	[45.8]	DT	DTC	7
Finland	2004-05	695	[23.0-56.6]	DT ; SP (UAT)	NSP; serum, saliva	6
Sweden	2006	21	[83.8]	SP	DTC, OHC, PRI; serum	9
United Kingdom	2005	4233	[28.0-57.0]	SP (UAT)	DTC, NSP, LTS, primary care and outreach; saliva	36 ; 39
Turkey	2004	38	[47.4]	DT	DTC; serum	1
Norway	2005	258	[69.0]	SP	NSP, STR; serum	8

Notes:

This summary table gives a global overview of the prevalence of HCV antibody in IDUs in the EU, 2004-2005 or most recent year available. Data for more than one year are combined if they clearly improve generalisability (e.g. national data, out-of-treatment data). Prevalence in this table should not be compared with previous versions to follow changes over time, as inclusion of sources may vary according to data availability. For time trends see Tables 11-13 in the annex of this statistical bulletin.

(1) The figures given in brackets show local estimates (or range of estimates) within the country.

(2) Saliva tests for hepatitis C antibodies underestimate prevalence. If test sensitivity is known then figures can be adjusted upwards by dividing prevalence by test sensitivity. Test sensitivity is around 70-90% in older studies and may be up to 90-95% in some recent studies. Figures have not been adjusted.

DT: Diagnostic testing; SP: Seroprevalence study; SP-UAT: Seroprevalence study with unlinked anonymous testing; SR: Data (partly) based on self reported test results.

(3) Having health problems is one selection criterion for admission to drug treatment in some countries or cities (Greece, Portugal, Rome), due to long waiting lists or special programmes for infected IDUs, and this may result in upward bias of prevalence. Prevalence from treatment data should therefore be interpreted in combination with non-treatment data. On the other hand, data from Italy and Portugal include non-IDUs and may thus underestimate prevalence in IDUs.

(4) IDUnk = IDU status not known, prevalence may be too low.

(5) ODD = overdose deaths; DEM = drug emergencies; DTC = drug treatment centres; NSP = needle exchanges; LTS = low-threshold services; PHL = public health laboratories; STI = STI clinics; ANT = antenatal clinics; OHC = other hospital or clinics; PRI = prisons; ARR = arrests; GPS = general practitioners; HTC = HIV testing centres; STR = street; OTH = other.

Czech Republic: The national study available is IDUnk (n =1319; 52.0% infected). Bulgaria: One sub-national study available is IDUnk (N=115; 16.5% infected).

Sources:

See Table INF-11.