Prevalence of Hepatitis C virus in intravenous drug users

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in intravenous drug users (IDUs). Material and Methods: The commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kits, HCV ELISA third-generation kit (containing core, E1, E2, NS3, NS4, and NS5 antigens) were utilized for this purpose. Processed serum samples were measured for absorbance (optical density) at 450 nm using an ELISA reader (Robonik – Absorbance microplate reader), and the cutoff value was calculated according to the instruction manual. Results: Ninety IDU samples were collected from symptomatic patients admitted to the psychiatric unit, revealing a prevalence rate of 43.34% in this group. Approximately 8 HCV-positive patients had co-infections of Hepatitis B and HIV, which were an incidental finding. A significant outcome of our study was that the majority of HCV-positive patients were chronic drug abusers (more than 8 years), with heroin being the most commonly abused substance. Our study highlighted socio-demographic trends, indicating that most patients resided in rural areas, accounting for 71.8% compared to 28.2% from urban areas, with the majority being educated and aged 26–35 years. Conclusion: The study sheds light on the prevalence, distribution, socio-demographic factors, and comorbidities associated with HCV-positive patients involved in intravenous (IV) drug abuse. With a prevalence rate of 43.34%, our findings highlight the significant burden of HCV infection among IV drug abusers hospitalized in the psychiatric unit of our hospital.