Linkage to Care for Suburban Heroin Users with Hepatitis C Virus Infection, New Jersey, USA

Abstract

We identified a 41.4% prevalence of hepatitis C virus, absence of HIV, and unexpectedly high frequency of hepatitis C virus genotype 3 among suburban New Jersey heroin users 17–35 years of age during 2014–2015. Despite 2 clinicians prepared to engage these users, few were successfully linked to care and treated.

Keywords

• Hepatitis C
• linkage to care
• suburban heroin users
• genotype
• New Jersey
• drug use