Abstract
In February 2015, an outbreak of recently acquired HIV infections among people who inject drugs (PWID) was identified in Dublin, following similar outbreaks in Greece and Romania in 2011. We compared drug and risk behaviours among 15 HIV cases and 39 controls. Injecting a synthetic cathinone, snow blow, was associated with recent HIV infection (AOR: 49; p=0.003). Prevention and control efforts are underway among PWID in Dublin, but may also be needed elsewhere in Europe.
Highlights
In February 2015, the Department of Public Health (DPH), Health Service Executive (HSE) in Dublin, Ireland, identified an unexpected increase in cases of acute HIV infection among people who inject drugs (PWID); three cases were diagnosed p24 antigen-positive in January and February 2015, compared with two cases diagnosed during the whole year in 2014 [1]
Five were positive: α-PVP (n = 4), α-PVP and MDPBP (n = 1); seven were negative. This investigation among homeless chaotic PWID in Dublin is the first evidence of an association between injecting snow blow and recent HIV infection, with daily snow blow injectors being at highest risk
Between 2005 and 2014, more than 81 synthetic cathinone derivatives were reported to the European Union (EU) Early Warning System [12]
Summary
A list of HIV test-negative (within three months) PWID attending the National Drug Treatment Centre (NDTC) in Dublin, registered by NDTC as homeless and requiring daily attendance due to chaotic behaviour, was generated. Cases were more likely to have reported injecting methamphetamine, snow blow, consuming amphetamines, other head shop drugs (‘legal highs’) or benzodiazepines (through various routes of administration) (Table 2).
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