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Hepatitis C Risks Same For Veterans As Civilians

Hepatitis C virus is common in veterans but is more strongly associated with traditional risk factors related to the infection rather than with risks related to combat.

Intravenous drug use, prior transfusion, prior tattoo, combat medical work, incarceration and multiple opposite sex partners are risk factors independently associated with the infection in this population.

These are among the findings of a study of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection at an urban veterans administration medical centre in the United States that sought to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors for this infection in veterans.

A total of 1,032 veterans participated.

Researchers performed anti-HCV testing in all of the patients and administered a questionnaire regarding subjects' sociodemographic characteristics and potential risk factors.

The adjusted prevalence of unique HCV-positive patients using outpatient services was 17.7 percent.

The range of risk factors found to be linked with HCV infection included a history of injection drug use (IDU), receipt of blood transfusion prior to 1992, history of tattoo, combat job as a medical worker, history of incarceration for more than 48 hours, more than 15 lifetime sexual partners and sexual relations with a prostitute.

It was concluded that infection with HCV among veterans is common and strongly associated with traditional risk factors and less strongly associated with combat-related risk.

Megan E. Briggs and colleagues from the Medical Services of the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, California were the authors of the study.
HEPATOLOGY 2001;34:1200-1205. "Prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection at an Urban Veterans administration medical center (*Human Study*)"

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