Abstract
HIV/HCV co-infection is permanently increasing in our country especially among intravenous drug users (IDUs) from low socio-economical risk categories. HIV/HCV co-infection among IDUs is associated with a complex pathology, including psychiatric disorders due to severe addiction syndrome, bacterial infection at the injection site and systemic bacterial infections of various degrees of severity. Due to HIV related immunosuppression, pulmonary or extra-pulmonary tuberculosis is frequently diagnosed, with major risk for dissemination Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the general population, including MDR or XDR TB strains.
Highlights
HIV/HCV co-infection is permanently increasing in our country especially among intravenous drug users (IDUs) from low socio-economical risk categories
Intravenous drug users are often seen in hospital only in the advanced stage of illness, being diagnosed with HIV as “late presenters”, with CD4 cell count below 350 cells/ml and with severe opportunistic infections or other AIDS defining conditions[2] The most frequent opportunistic infection among IDUs admitted in our clinic is due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resulting in high risk for transmission in the general population [3]
“Ethnobotanical” drugs represent a heterogeneous category of vegetal substances impregnated with several amphetamine derivates and/or cannabinoids, resulting in a large diversity of products. Their commercialisation was firstly permitted in our country in so called “dream shops”, being named by users “legal drugs” [4,5]. Even if they were original designed as inhalation drugs, IDUs discovered quickly that intravenous injection enhance the hallucinogens effect
Summary
HIV/HCV co-infection is permanently increasing in our country especially among intravenous drug users (IDUs) from low socio-economical risk categories. Reduced access to medical care for this high risk category of patients, due to their poor economic and educational status, (including homelessness, lack of health insurance, no health insurance card) and due to low adherence to antiretroviral therapy impact negatively the progression of HIV/HCV coinfection.
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