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The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on July 5, 2007
The European Journal of Public Health 2008 18(1):44-47; doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckm072
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© The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Health Inequalities

A survey of hepatitis B and C prevalence amongst the homeless community of Prague

Vladimír Volf1, David Marx1, Ludmila Pliskova2, Laszlo Sümegh3 and Alexander Celko4

1 Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Charles University 3rd Medical Faculty, Prague, Czech Republic
2 Department of Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
3 Social worker of the Chance Center, Prague, Czech Republic
4 Department of Epidemiology, Center of Preventive Medicine, Charles University 3rd Medical Faculty, Prague, Czech Republic

Correspondence: Volf Vladimír, MD, PhD. Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Charles University 3rd Medical Faculty, Srobárova 50, 100 89 Prague, Czech Republic, tel: (+42) 2 67162560, fax: (+42) 0 72736326, e-mail: volf{at}fnkv.cz

Received July 7, 2006 , accepted June 8, 2007

Background: Viral hepatitis B (VHB) and C (VHC) are a major health concern worldwide, with 170 million people chronically infected and at risk of liver cancer, cirrhosis or liver failure. Since no vaccination is available against VHC it is important to understand how to prevent future infection. The modes of transmission include intravenous drug use (IDU), blood products, tattooing and, to a lesser extent, sexual intercourse. Homelessness is a risk factor of VHB and VHC because of the environments and behaviours associated with homeless communities such as poor hygiene, nutrition and high levels of IDU. The aim of this project was to determine the prevalence of VHB and VHC and its risk factors amongst homeless community of Prague, Czech Republic. Patients and methods: Ninety-eight individuals of the Prague homeless community were interviewed and tested for VHB and VHC infection markers. Results: The prevalence of both VHB and VHC was 26.5%. The major risk factors in this population were past and present IDU, young age and sharing the paraphernalia used by intravenous drug users (e.g. spoons, foils and filters). Conclusion: With the exception of age, all these risk factors could all be targeted in order to combat the major public health concern that VHB and VHC poses to the homeless community of Prague.

Keywords: hepatitis B, hepatitis C infection, homelessness, intravenous drug use


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