Study on prevalence of hepatitis C infections and their related risk factors in Tabriz prisoners

Introduction and objects: The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the leading known causes of chronic liver disease. Every day hepatitis causes massive costs and death of millions people. prisons are places for persons with high risk behavior and IV drug user population are more found in the prisons .Regarding to this fact that one of the most important ways of HCV transmission in the prisons is the use of shared needle in IDU prisoners and this persons can be dangerous to other persons who are not an IDU we decided to study on prisons of Tabriz for determination of prevalence of HCV between prisoners and relationship between this infections with high risk behavior. Material and methods : A cross-sectional study carried out in the central prison of Tabriz- Iran in 2007 .Inmates were interviewed using standard questionnaire including demographic imprisonment history and HCV related risk behavior. Information gathered by study of documented papers and questionnaire. Blood sample tested for HCV antibody by ELIZA and RIBA test. We used statistical test “Pearson chi-square” and “T-test” to analyze this data. Result : A total of 192 prisoners participated in our study .72%were men and 28% were women..48.7% were IV drug users 86.4% used sharing needles. 29% were HCV antibody positive. HCV are more between prisoners who use sharing needles. Conclusion : IDU prisoners and person who used sharing needle have a high risk for HCV infections. The seroprevalence of HCV infection among prisoners in comparison with general population in Iran is very high. Regarding to the high prevalence of HCV in prisons we must decrease of this virus in prisoners and society