Hepatitis C transmission via injecting drug use: look beyond needles and syringes

Important insights into the continued spread of hepatitis C among injecting drug users are provided by two studies published in the online edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

An international team of investigators showed that infectious quantities of hepatitis C could survive on inanimate surfaces for up to seven days. However, the virus can be rendered inactive by commercially available disinfectants, or heating to a temperature of 65-70° for approximately 90 seconds.

In a separate study, French investigators detected the virus on 80% of alcohol swabs obtained from injecting drug users. They suggest that the swabs may be shared by users, risking the transmission of hepatitis C.

Holly Hagan of the New York University College of Nursing in an accompanying editorial stated: “The studies contribute new knowledge to our understanding of the mechanisms by which HCV [hepatitis C virus] may be transmitted among PWID [people who inject drugs] via injection-related materials.”

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