Measures to stop the spread of HIV don’t stop the spread of hepatitis C infection

Among a population of injecting drug users attending a primary care centre focused on HIV prevention in Sydney, Australia, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus was 45% and the incidence of the virus was 21 per 100 person years, report van Beek et al (p 433). Incidence was particularly high (76/100 person years) among subjects under 20 years and among those who had been imprisoned (60.8/100 person years)—whereas the incidence of HIV was 2.5% and the prevalence of HIV 0.17 per 100 person years. Current HIV prevention efforts may have been effective in containing HIV infection, but they are relatively ineffective in preventing hepatitis C virus infection in this population.