Hepatitis C Surveillance among Youth and Young Adults in New York City, 2009–2013

Abstract

Increases in prescription opioid misuse, injection drug use, and hepatitis C infections have been reported among youth and young adults in the USA, particularly in rural and suburban areas. To better understand these trends in New York City and to characterize demographics and risk factors among a population who, by virtue of their age, are more likely to be recently infected with hepatitis C, we analyzed routine hepatitis C surveillance data from 2009 to 2013 and investigated a sample of persons 30 and younger newly reported with hepatitis C in 2013. Between 2009 and 2013, 4811 persons 30 and younger were newly reported to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene with hepatitis C. There were high rates of hepatitis C among persons 30 and younger in several neighborhoods that did not have high rates of hepatitis C among older people. Among 402 hepatitis C cases 30 and younger investigated in 2013, the largest proportion (44 %) were white, non-Hispanic, and the most commonly reported risk factor for hepatitis C was injection drug use, mostly heroin. Hepatitis C prevention and harm reduction efforts in NYC focused on young people should target these populations, and surveillance for hepatitis C among young people should be a priority in urban as well as rural and suburban settings.

The role of social networks and geography on risky injection behaviors of young persons who inject drugs

“…As in prior studies (Armstrong, 2007; Broz and Ouellet, 2008; Broz et al, 2014; Garfein et al, 1998; Hahn et al, 2010; Neaigus et al, 2006; Ochoa et al, 2001; Prussing et al, 2014; Pugatch, 2006), our study showed that young PWID are likely to be non-Hispanic white (71%), even though our recruitment sites were located in urban, predominantly African American and Hispanic neighborhoods. A main finding of our study is that homelessness and residential transience are integral components of HCV and HIV risk, mediated through network size and syringe sharing.…”

“…Concurrent with these trends has been a demographic and geographic shift in the profile of young PWID across the United States (U.S.), who are increasingly from suburban communities and predominantly non-Hispanic (NH) white (Armstrong, 2007; Broz and Ouellet, 2008; Broz et al, 2014; Neaigus et al, 2006; Prussing et al, 2014). In the few recent U.S. studies that specifically focused on young PWID (≤ 30 years old), NH-whites were the dominant racial/ethnic group, and African Americans constituted only small fractions of the samples (Garfein et al, 2007; Hahn et al, 2010; Ochoa et al, 2001; Pugatch, 2006).…”

Increasing Infectious Endocarditis Admissions Among Young People Who Inject Drugs

“…Our findings add to the growing body of scientific literature that demonstrates increasing concerns about substance misuse, injection-mediated risks, and a constellation of comorbidities within younger populations [12–14, 16, 21, 28–33]. Our results provide additional insights into the complex mix of infectious diseases that face PWID and are a harbinger of healthcare utilization patterns to come among young adults in the throes of addiction.…”

Drug use in business bathrooms: An exploratory study of manager encounters in New York City

“…Previous reports suggest that heroin, cocaine, and combinations thereof (known as ‘speedballs’) are overwhelmingly the most commonly injected drugs in NYC (New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2010, 2013). Additionally, high rates of hepatitis C have been detected in individuals under 30 years old in NYC with the most common risk factor being heroin injection (Prussing, Bornschlegel, & Balter, 2015). …”