Bloodborne infections in Irish prisoners are linked to drug injection and previous imprisonment

Use of injected drugs and infection with hepatitis C virus are endemic in Irish prisons, and tattooing in prison is an independent risk factor for hepatitis C virus in prisoners who have never injected drugs. Long and colleagues (p 1209) studied the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV in 607 of 718 men entering prison between 6 April and 1 May 1999. Of first time entrants, only 3% or less were infected with one or more of these viruses, and the prevalence in prison entrants who had previously been imprisoned was similar to that found in a recent national survey of Irish prisoners. These findings confirm the need for increased infection control and harm reduction measures in Irish prisons.

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Relevant Article

Prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV and risk factors in entrants to Irish prisons: a national cross sectional survey • Commentary: efficient research gives direction on prisoners' and the wider public healthexcept in England and Wales

Jean Long, Shane Allwright, Joseph Barry, Sheilagh Reaper Reynolds, Lelia Thornton, Fiona Bradley, John V Parry, and Sheila M Bird
BMJ 2001 323: 1209. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]