Parenteral HCV Transmission: Assessing Risks and Prevention Strategies in vitro

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目旨在了解通过不安全的药物注射传播丙型肝炎病毒(丙型肝炎病毒)的风险的流行病学，并评估减少传播的方法。该研究方案采用了跨学科的流行病学方法，将对药物注射实践的真实世界观察融入实验室研究，以分析(1)使用受丙型肝炎病毒污染的注射设备导致丙型肝炎病毒传播的可能性，(2)设备注射设备中丙型肝炎病毒的存活时间，(3)消毒剂灭活丙型肝炎病毒的可能性，以及(4)在注射吸毒者中丙型肝炎病毒流行仍在迅速增加的世界部分地区，在各种药物制备和注射实践中接触传染性丙型肝炎病毒的可能性。实验室化验利用了一种新开发的使用完整病毒粒子的丙型肝炎病毒体外增殖检测方法，实验室中注射用具的处理将受到对药物注射实践具有第一手观察经验的医学人类学家的监督。流行病学分析和结果的传播将被用来向预防方案和有传播或感染丙型肝炎病毒风险的个人通报可以采取的减少传播的步骤。 公共卫生相关性：该项目与公共卫生直接相关，因为结果将用于提供控制丙型肝炎病毒在注射吸毒者中传播所需的信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project has been designed to understand the epidemiology of the risks for transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) through unsafe drug injection and evaluate methods to reduce transmission. The study protocol applies an interdisciplinary epidemiological approach that fuses into laboratory-based research the real-world observations on drug injection practices to analyze (1) the potential for HCV transmission resulting from the use of HCV-contaminated injection equipment, (2) the duration of HCV viability in injection equipment of equipment, (3) the potential for disinfectants to inactivate HCV, and (4) the potential for exposure to infectious HCV in various drug preparation and injection practices common in parts of the world where the HCV epidemic among injection drugs users is still rapidly increasing. The laboratory assay takes advantage of a newly developed in vitro assay for HCV proliferation that employs whole virions and the handling of injection paraphernalia in the laboratory will be informed by oversight from medical anthropologists who have first-hand observational experience of drug injection practices. Epidemiological analysis and dissemination of the results will be used to inform prevention programs and individuals at risk for transmitting or becoming infected with HCV about the step that can be taken to reduce transmission. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project is directly relevant to public health since the results will be used provide information needed to control the epidemic of hepatitis C virus transmission among injection drug users.