Table INF-2. Prevalence of HCV antibody among injecting drug users in the EU, 2007 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	2007	364	:	34.0-80.1	DT	LTS, DTC, 11 sites; serum	8 ; 22
Bulgaria	2006-07	1262	17.9	57.1	DT	PRI, DTC, NSP, LTS, HTC, 11 sites; serum	4 ; 5
Czech Republic	2007	259	19.3	:	DT	NSP, LTS, 36 sites; serum, saliva, capillary blood	19
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	2007	325	:	94.5	RDS	STR; serum	5
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	2006	362	:	41.7	SP (UAT)	NSP, LTS, STR; saliva	21
Italy	2007	80093	60.2	36.2-92.0	DT	DTC, 515 sites; serum; IDUnk	46
Cyprus	2007	102	34.3	:	DT	DTC,18 sites; serum	6
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	2007	548	25.7	:	SP	NSP, DTC, 15 sites ; dired blood spots	12
Malta	2006	151	33.1	:	DT	DTC, 1 site; serum	3 ; 5
Netherlands	2006-07	140	:	40.7-56.5	DT	DTC, 11 sites; serum	27 ; 99
Austria	2007	956	40.0-47.8	19.6-63.1	DT	DTC, LTS, ODD, NSP, 47 sites; serum	7 ; 8 ; 9 ; 10 ; 11 ; 12 ; 13
Poland	2005	347	:	43.7–64.0	SP (UAT)	DTC, LTS, PRI; serum	5 ; 6
Portugal	2007	6548	38.7-82.3	:	DT	DTC ; serum, dried blood spots; IDUnk §	28
Romania	2007	398	:	60.2-65.6	DT	DTC, 3 sites; serum	2
Slovenia	2007	280	21.8	:	DT	DTC, 18 sites; serum	1
Slovakia	2006	69	:	40.6	DT	DTC, 1 site	7
Finland	2007	1760	21.4	21.4-56.4	DT ; SP	NSP,PRI, 46 sites; serum, saliva IDUnk	6 ; 7
Sweden	2007	443	:	32.1-88.2	SP ; DT	LTS, STR, DTC, OHC, PRI, 215 sites; serum	8 ; 10
United Kingdom	2007	3580	:	29.0–60.0	SP (UAT)	DTC, NSP, LTS, primary care and outreach; saliva	45 ; 46
Croatia	2007	599	44.0	28.7-65.3	SP	PRI, DTC, NSP, LTS, PHL, HTC; serum	1
Turkey	2004	38	:	47.4	DT	DTC; serum	1
Norway	2007	3533	76.1	64.0	SP	NSP, LTS, DTC, 24 sites; serum	11 ; 12

Notes:

 : indicates data not available 

 This summary table gives a global overview of the prevalence of HCV antibody in IDUs in the EU, 2006–07 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; RDS: Respondent-driven sampling; 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. 

 Finland: One of the three studies available is IDUnk (National: N=519; 21.4% infected).               

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

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

 Portugal: Two of three studies are IDUnk (All National: N=1440; 38.7% infected and N=4185; 43.7% infected)               

Sources:

 See Table INF-111.  

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