Reinfection rates after hepatitis C cure among people who
inject drug users, as well as past drug users, are relatively low, according
to findings from studies from Norway and Canada presented at the International Liver Congress
in Vienna in April.
The findings suggest that current and former injecting drug
users who have been cured of hepatitis C require ongoing support to remain free
of hepatitis C, but also indicate that fears of a high rate of reinfection
should not be used as a reason to withhold hepatitis C treatment from people
who inject drugs.
A meta-analysis of studies of hepatitis C treatment outcomes
in people who inject drugs, published in 2013, found an incidence of between 2.4
and 6.4 per 100 person-years of follow-up, but a subsequent meta-analysis found
that the reinfection rate could be as high as 8%. (Aspinall 2013, Hill 2014)
Read more.... Labels: post-cure, pwid, reinfection