Table INF-3. Prevalence of markers for HBV infection among injecting drug users in the EU, 2007 or most recent year available — Summary table by country

Country or region			% positive aHBc(1)			% positive aHBs(1)			% positive HBsAg(1)
	Year	Number tested	National	Sub-National		National	Sub-National		National	Sub-National	Setting/comments (2) (3) (4) (5)	References
Belgium	2007	352	:	25.0-53.5		:	11.0		:	0.0-2.6	LTS, DTC, 11 sites; serum	8 ; 22
Bulgaria	2007	656	:	:		:	:		:	5.6	DTC, NSP, LTS, HTC, 5 sites; serum.	5
Czech Republic	:	:	:	:		:	:		:	:	:	:
Denmark	2006	186	37.1	:		:	:		:	:	ODD, 5 sites; post mortem blood. IDUnk	8
Germany	2004	941	:	53.0		:	:		:	:	DTC, Vacination study; serum; IDUnk	24
Estonia	:	:	:	:		:	:		:	:	:	:
Ireland	2003	63	:	:		:	:		:	0.0	DTC, 1 site; serum	14
Greece	2006	1459	15.3–29.1	5.6–33.3		25.1–37.0	14.8–50.0		1.7–3.6	0.0–8.8	DTC, LTS, OHC, PHL, 42 sites; serum	1 ; 2 ; 9
Spain	2003	613	:	22.5		:	:		:	:	STR; dried blood spots	29 ; 34
France	:	:	:	:		:	:		:	:	:	:
Italy	2007	62471	37.2	5.8-89.8		:	:		:	:	DTC, 515 sites; serum; IDUnk. All markers.	46
Cyprus	2007	102	:	:		:	:		7.8	:	DTC, 18 sites; serum	6
Latvia	:	:	:	:		:	:		:	:	:	:
Lithuania	2006	668	:	:		:	:		:	3.3–8.9	HTC, LTS, 16 sites ; serum, dried blood spots	5
Luxembourg	2005	508	18.4–35.9	:		54.9–75.0	:		3.9	:	DTC, NSP, LTS, STI, ANT, OHC, PRI; serum	6
Hungary	2007	564	:	:		:	:		0.4	:	DTC, NSP, 15 sites; dried blodd spots	12
Malta	2006	151	0.7	:		:	:		:	:	DTC; serum	5
Netherlands	2007	36	:	30.6		:	40.6		:	:	DTC, 5 sites; serum	27
Austria	2007	643	17.5	6.5-22.0		:	:		:	:	LTS, DTC, NSP, 45 sites; serum. All markers.	7 ; 8; 10 ; 11 ; 12 ; 13
Poland	2004–05	766	:	23.6–66.7		:	31.5–34.5		:	1.2–8.5	DTC, LTS, PRI, STR; serum	6
Portugal	2003-07	6529	16.0–28.0	:		20.0–33.0	:		2.9–6.9	:	DTC, ; dried blood spots, serum; IDUnk §	22 ; 28
Romania	2007	113	:	:		:	:		:	11.5	DTC, 1 sites; serum	2
Slovenia	2007	225	4.0	:		:	:		:	:	DTC, 1 site; serum	1
Slovakia	2002	148	:	6.3		:	:		:	:	DTC	7
Finland	:	:	:	:		:	:		:	:	:	:
Sweden	:	:	:	:		:	:		:	:	:	:
United Kingdom	2007	3580	:	6.0-27.0		:	:		:	:	DTC, NSP, LTS, primary care and outreach; saliva	45 ; 46
Croatia	2007	599	24.0	0.1-0.3		15.0	0.1		0.5	0.0	PRI, DTC, NSP, LTS, PHL, HTC; serum	1
Turkey	:	:	:	:		:	:		:	:	:	:
Norway	2007	222	:	45		:	48.2		:	0.5	NSP, LTS, 11 sites; serum.	11

Notes:

 : indicates data not available 

 This summary table gives a global overview of prevalence of HBV markers 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 INF-114 and INF-115 . 

 Sample size is mostly equal for the different HBV markers, where this is not the case the smallest sample size is shown.  

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

 (2) Saliva tests for hepatitis B antibodies underestimate prevalence. If test sensitivity is known then figures can be adjusted upwards by dividing prevalence by test sensitivity. Figures have not been adjusted. 

 (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. Data for Italy and Austria are not prevalence of aHBc but prevalence of 'all HBV markers' as a proxy of aHBc prevalence. 

 (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.                         

 Portugal: Two of three studies are IDUnk (All National: N=1395; 2.9% infected and N=4267; 6.9% infected)                         

Sources:

 See Tables INF-114 and INF-115.  

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