Table INF-2. Prevalence of HCV antibody among injecting drug users in the EU, 2006 or most recent year available — Summary table by country

Country			% Infected (1)
	Year	Number tested	National	Sub-national	Study design (2)	Setting/comments (2) (3) (4) (5)	References
Belgium	2006	411		36.2–78.7	DT	LTS, DTC, 9 sites; serum	8 ; 22
Bulgaria	2005-06	1216	17.9	16.5–52.4	DT	PRI, DTC, NSP, LTS, HTC, 12 sites; serum	2 ; 3 ; 4
Czech Republic	2006	695	16		DT	NSP, LTS; serum	14
Denmark	2006	191	60.7		SP (UAT)	ODD; 5 sites; IDUnk	7 ; 8
Germany	2004	1134		75	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	2006	1606	42.6–66.0	25.4–76.1	DT	DTC, LTS, OHC, PHL, 42 sites; 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	2006	78212	62	40.1–95.5	DT	DTC, PRI; serum, saliva; IDUnk	31 ; 32
Cyprus	2006	98	29.6		DT	DTC,9 sites; serum	1 ; 3 ; 4 ; 5
Latvia	2001	261		83	n.a.	NSP	2
Lithuania	2006	775		70.3–89.7	DT	LTS, HTC, 17 sites; serum, dried blood spots; IDUnk §	5 ; 8
Luxembourg	2005	536	71.8–90.7		SP	DTC, NSP, LTS, STI, ANT, OHC, PRI; serum	6
Hungary	2006	334	6.4–28.9		DT ; SP	PHL, NSP, DTC, 14 sites ; serum, dired blood spots; IDUnk §	1 ; 5 ; 7 ; 8 ; 9
Malta	2006	151	33.1		DT	DTC, 1 site; serum	3 ; 5
Netherlands	2006	78		40.7–70.4	DT	DTC, LTS, 12 sites; serum	27
Austria	2006	615	31.9	37.9–55.0	DT	LTS, PHL, GPS, HTC, ODD, DTC, NSP; serum	6 ; 7 ; 8 ; 10 ; 11 ; 12
Poland	2005	347		43.7–64.0	SP (UAT)	DTC, LTS, PRI; serum	5 ; 6
Portugal	2006	6529	41.7–84.8		DT	DTC, Detoxification units, Outpatient units, Therapeutic communities, Public detoxification units; serum, dried blood spots; IDUnk §	23 ; 24 ; 27
Romania	2006	106		46.2	DT	DTC, 2 sites; serum	2
Slovenia	2004	467	22.5		DT	DTC; serum	1
Slovakia	2004	72		45.8	DT	DTC	7
Finland	2005-06	1141	20.7	23.0–40.0	DT	NSP, 16 sites; serum	6
Sweden	2006-07	224		83.8–88.2	SP ; DT	LTS, STR, DTC, OHC, PRI, 207 sites; serum	9
United Kingdom	2006	3242		29.0–56.0	SP (UAT)	DTC, NSP, LTS, primary care and outreach; saliva	36 ; 39 ; 40
Turkey	2004	38		47.4	DT	DTC; serum	1
Norway	2006	3218	78.4	70.2	SP	NSP, LTS, DTC, 24 sites; serum	8 ; 9 ; 10

Notes:

 This summary table gives a global overview of the prevalence of HCV antibody in IDUs in the EU, 2005–06 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 Table INF-111, INF-112 and INF-113. 

 (1) The figures show estimates (or range of estimates) at National and/or sub-national level. 

 (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 in IDUs is likely to be underestimated. 

 (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. 

 § - IDUnk = IDU status not known, prevalence may be too low. 

 Lithuania: One of the three studies avaliable is IDUnk (Subnational: N=457; 72.3 % infected). 

 Hungary: One of the two studies available is IDUnk (National: N=47; 6.4 % infected). 

 Portugal: Two of the three studies available is IDUnk (all National: N= 4106; 1524 - 43.2 %; 41.7 % infected respectively). 

 Sweden: Includes 2007 data. 

Sources:

 See Table INF-111.  

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