Infections among injecting drug users in the United Kingdom 2007. An update: October 2008

This report is the latest in a series of annual Shooting Up reports documenting the wide range of harms experienced by injecting drug users - including blood borne viruses and bacterial infections. It found that one third of injecting drug users have reported abscesses, sore or open wounds - representative of bacterial infections that are thought to cost the UK health services around £47 million per year. The report documented a range of bacterial infections amongst injecting drug users - including MRSA, streptococci, wound botulism and tetanus and ranging in severity from irritation and minor skin infections to blurred vision, slurred speech, muscle weakness, paralysis, respiratory failure and death. These infections may be fuelled by recent increases in crack cocaine injection (associated with higher daily injection frequencies) and groin injection (associated with poor hygiene). Yet these harms are easily preventable if the injection site is cleaned before and sterile equipment is used. The report also found that around one in 90 injecting drug users in England and Wales have HIV (but as many as one in 20 in London), one in six are thought to have been infected with hepatitis B at some stage, and almost half currently have hepatitis C (with a fifth becoming infected within three years of starting to inject drugs). However, there were some encouraging signs - such as a notable increase in the uptake of hepatitis B vaccines amongst injecting drug users, and high rates of needle exchange access. The Health Protection Agency was established in 2003 to protect UK public health through the provision of support, evidence and advice to the relevant Government bodies. Their annual 'Shooting Up' reports are produced (in collaboration with Health Protection Scotland, National Public Health Service for Wales, CDSC Northern Ireland, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) to provide insights into the infection risks among injecting drug users across the UK.