Table INF-3. Prevalence of markers for HBV infection among injecting drug users in the EU, 2008 or most recent year available — Summary table by country

Country or region			% positive aHBc(1)					% positive aHBs(1)					% positive HBsAg(1)
	Year	Number tested	Year	N	National samples	Sub-National samples		Year	N	National samples	Sub-National samples		Year	N	National samples	Sub-National samples	Setting/comments (2) (3) (4) (5)	References
Belgium			2008	361	:	2.6 - 57.3		2008	376	:	18.4 - 50.2		2008	382	:	1.9 - 4.0	LTS, DTC; serum	22 ; 24
Bulgaria			:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		2008	704	:	5.5	DTC, NSP, LTS, HTC; serum	6
Czech Republic	:	:	:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	:	:
Denmark			2006	186	37.1	:		2008	101	37.0	:		:	:	:	:	ODD, 5 sites; post mortem blood. IDUnk	8
Germany			2004	801	:	53.0		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	DTC, Vacination study; serum; IDUnk	24
Estonia	:	:	:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	:	:
Ireland			2003	63	:	17.5		2003	38	:	86.4		:	:	:	0.0	DTC, 1 site; serum	14
Greece			2008	1028	14.6 - 26.3	3.2 - 30.0		2008	1039	25.0 - 35.4	6.3 - 83.3		2008	1576	2.3 - 2.7	0.0 - 11.8	DTC, LTS, OHC, PHL; serum	1 ; 2 ; 9
Spain			2003	613	:	22.5		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	STR; dried blood spots	29 ; 34
France	:	:	:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	:	:
Italy			2008	58898	37.2	89.1		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	DTC, 515 sites; serum; IDUnk. All markers.	46
Cyprus			:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		2008	129	0.0	:	DTC; serum	8 ; 9
Latvia	:	:	2007	406	:	55.9		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	:	:
Lithuania			2006	526	:	63.9		2006	324	:	54.9		2006	668	:	3.3–8.9	HTC, LTS, 16 sites ; serum, dried blood spots	5
Luxembourg			2005	493	18.4 - 35.9	:		2005	502	54.9 - 75.3	:		2005	255	3.9	:	DTC, NSP, LTS, STI, ANT, OHC, PRI; serum	6
Hungary			:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		2008	590	0.5	:	DTC, NSP, 18 sites; dried blodd spots	15
Malta			2006	151	0.7	:		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	DTC; serum	5
Netherlands			2008	25	:	44.0		2008	25	:	52.0		:	:	:	:	DTC, 5 sites; serum	27
Austria			2008	638	19.0	1.8 - 19.4		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	LTS, DTC, NSP, 45 sites; serum. All markers.	7 ; 8; 10 ; 11 ; 12 ; 13
Poland	2004–05		2005	343	:	24.4 - 55.7		2004	382	:	31.5 - 34.5		2005	347	:	1.2–8.5	DTC, LTS, PRI, STR; serum	6
Portugal	2003-07		2003	5345	16.0 - 28.0	:		2003	5355	20.0 - 33.0	:		2008	6933	2.7 - 6.1	:	DTC, ; dried blood spots; IDUnk §	29
Romania			:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		2007	113	:	11.5	DTC, 1 sites; serum	2
Slovenia			2008	213	4.2	:		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	DTC, 1 site; serum	1
Slovakia			2008	97	:	23.7		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	DTC	7
Finland	:	:	:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	:	:
Sweden	:	:	:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:		2008	522	:	60.1	PRI, 3 sites; serum	12
United Kingdom			2008	3207	:	5.3 - 20.9		:	:	:	:		:	:	:	:	DTC, NSP, LTS, primary care and outreach; saliva	45 ; 46
Croatia			2007/08	705	24.0	7.5 - 13.3		2008	706	15.0	4.7 - 13.2		2007/08	791	0.5	0.0	PRI, DTC, NSP, LTS, PHL, HTC; serum	1
Turkey	:	:	:	:	:	:		2008	168	:	42.9		:	:	:	:	:	:
Norway			2008	172	:	41.3		2008	100	:	43.0		2008	172	:	1.2	NSP, LTS, 10 sites; serum.	16

Notes:

 This summary table gives a global overview of prevalence of HBV markers 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 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) from national and/or sub-national level samples. 

 (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: aHBc and aHBs: All studies are IDUnk. HBsAg: Two of three studies are IDUnk (N=1441; 2.7% infected and N=4478; 6.1% infected)                                     

Sources:

 See Tables INF-114 and INF-115.  

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