Abstract
Needlestick injuries are an occupational hazard for prison officers. This study aimed to assess the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in syringes found in prisons. Sixty-nine syringes found in prisons were tested for HCV RNA using previously published methods. Three syringes tested positive for HCV RNA. Compared to the prevalence of HCV among injecting drug users in prisons, few syringes were found to contain HCV RNA. It is likely that conditions under which syringes are kept in prisons are not favorable for survival of detectable HCV RNA. Further work is needed to establish the risk of HCV transmission posed by needlestick injuries in prison settings.
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