Table INF-2. Prevalence of HCV antibody among injecting drug users in the EU, 2008 or most recent year available — Summary table by country.

Country			% Infected (1)
	Year	Number tested	National samples	Sub-national samples	Study design (2)	Setting/comments (2) (3) (4) (5)	References
Belgium	2008	398	:	27.0 - 82.7	DT	LTS, DTC; serum	22 ; 24
Bulgaria	2008	752	:	57.5	DT	DTC, NSP, LTS, HTC; serum	6
Czech Republic	2008	622	11.7	:	DT	NSP, LTS; serum, saliva, capillary blood	25
Denmark	2008	223	52.5	:	SP (UAT)	ODD, 3 sites; post mortem blood; IDUnk	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	2008	1385	44.9 -55.5	32.7 - 70.0	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	2006	362	:	41.7	SP (UAT)	NSP, LTS, STR; saliva	21
Italy	2008	74514	59.2	31.0 - 87.2	DT	DTC, 522 sites; serum; IDUnk	47
Cyprus	2008	129	29.2 - 50.0	:	DT ; SP	DTC; serum	8 ; 9
Latvia	2007	406	:	74.4	SP (UAT)	NSP; serum	12
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	2008	1241	22.6	11.5 - 37.3	SP	NSP, DTC, PRI, STR, OHC ; dired blood spots, serum	15 ; 16 ; 17 ; 18
Malta	2006	151	33.1	:	DT	DTC, 1 site; serum	3 ; 5
Netherlands	2008	140	:	64.6 - 86.2	DT	DTC, Homeless housing projects, 13 sites; serum	27 ; 33
Austria	2008	732	47.1 - 52.6	21.8 - 59.7	DT	DTC, LTS, ODD, NSP; serum	7 ; 8 ; 9 ; 10 ; 11 ; 12 ; 13
Poland	2005	347	:	43.7 - 64.0	SP (UAT)	DTC, LTS, PRI; serum	5 ; 6
Portugal	2008	7006	33.5 - 84.5	:	DT	DTC ; serum, dried blood spots; IDUnk §	29
Romania	2007	398	:	60.2-65.6	DT	DTC, 3 sites; serum	2
Slovenia	2008	265	22.3	:	DT	DTC, 18 sites; serum	3
Slovakia	2008	98	:	50	DT	DTC, 1 site	7
Finland	2007	1760	21.4-56.4	21.4	DT ; SP	NSP,PRI, 46 sites; serum, saliva IDUnk	6 ; 7
Sweden	2007-08	967	:	32.1-88.2	SP ; DT	LTS, STR, DTC, OHC, PRI, 218 sites; serum	8 ; 10 ; 12
United Kingdom	2008	3209	:	32.9 - 52.2	SP (UAT)	DTC, NSP, LTS, primary care and outreach; saliva	48
Croatia	2007-08	791	44.0	27.1 - 65.3	SP	PRI, DTC, NSP, LTS, PHL, HTC; serum	1
Turkey	2008	168	:	5.3	DT	serum	2
Norway	2008	3709	74.1	68.4	SP	NSP, LTS, DTC, 24 sites; serum	16 ; 17

Notes:

 This summary table gives a global overview of the prevalence of HCV antibody in IDUs in the EU, 2007–08 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) from National and/or sub-national level samples. 

 (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=1476; 33.5% infected and N=4464; 41.0% infected)               

Sources:

 See Table INF-111.  

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