Abstract

This project has been designed to understand the epidemiology of the risks for transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) through unsafe drug injection and evaluate methods to reduce transmission. The study protocol applies an interdisciplinary epidemiological approach that fuses into laboratory-based research the real-world observations on drug injection practices to analyze (1) the potential for HCV transmission resulting from the use of HCV-contaminated injection equipment, (2) the duration of HCV viability in injection equipment of equipment, (3) the potential for disinfectants to inactivate HCV, and (4) the potential for exposure to infectious HCV in various drug preparation and injection practices common in parts of the world where the HCV epidemic among injection drugs users is still rapidly increasing. The laboratory assay takes advantage of a newly developed in vitro assay for HCV proliferation that employs whole virions and the handling of injection paraphernalia in the laboratory will be informed by oversight from medical anthropologists who have first-hand observational experience of drug injection practices. Epidemiological analysis and dissemination of the results will be used to inform prevention programs and individuals at risk for transmitting or becoming infected with HCV about the step that can be taken to reduce transmission.

  Funding Agency

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA030420-03
Application #
8487382
Study Section
Risk, Prevention and Intervention for Addictions Study Section (RPIA)
Program Officer
Lao, Guifang
Project Start
2011-09-01
Project End
2016-06-30
Budget Start
2013-07-01
Budget End
2014-06-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$415,385
Indirect Cost
$152,084

  Institution

Name
Yale University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
043207562
City
New Haven
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
06520

  Publications

Abdala, Nadia; Patel, Amisha; Heimer, Robert (2016) Recovering infectious HIV from novel syringe-needle combinations with low dead space volumes. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses :
Binka, Mawuena; Paintsil, Elijah; Patel, Amisha et al. (2015) Correction: Survival of Hepatitis C Virus in Syringes Is Dependent on the Design of the Syringe-Needle and Dead Space Volume. PLoS One 10:e0146088
Heimer, Robert; Zhan, Weihai; Grau, Lauretta E (2015) Prevalence and experience of chronic pain in suburban drug injectors. Drug Alcohol Depend 151:92-100
Binka, Mawuena; Paintsil, Elijah; Patel, Amisha et al. (2015) Survival of Hepatitis C Virus in Syringes Is Dependent on the Design of the Syringe-Needle and Dead Space Volume. PLoS One 10:e0139737
Paintsil, Elijah; Binka, Mawuena; Patel, Amisha et al. (2014) Hepatitis C virus maintains infectivity for weeks after drying on inanimate surfaces at room temperature: implications for risks of transmission. J Infect Dis 209:1205-11