PLoS ONE (Jan 2014)

Vulnerability of homeless people in Tehran, Iran, to HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis.

  • Fahimeh Bagheri Amiri,
  • Mohammad Mehdi Gouya,
  • Mahnaz Saifi,
  • Mehdi Rohani,
  • Payam Tabarsi,
  • Abbas Sedaghat,
  • Noushin Fahimfar,
  • Arash Memarnejadian,
  • Mohammad Reza Aghasadeghi,
  • Ali Akbar Haghdoost,
  • Fatemeh Jahanbakhsh,
  • Mahshid Nasehi,
  • Ehsan Mostafavi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098742
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 6
p. e98742

Abstract

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BackgroundHomeless people are at risk of contracting communicable infectious diseases, as they indulge in risky behaviours and lifestyle. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of the aforementioned infections and related risk behaviours among homeless people in Tehran.MethodsIn this study a convenience sample of 593 homeless individuals was studied. The ELISA method was used for the detection of HIV, HCV and HBV. Clinical symptoms, sputum cultures, acid fast bacilli smears, and chest X-rays were used to identify active pulmonary tuberculosis, and the Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) test was used to identify latent tuberculosis.ResultsThe prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and latent tuberculosis was 3.4%, 2.6%, 23.3% and 46.7%, respectively. Active pulmonary tuberculosis was found in 7 persons (1.2%). Injection drug use was an independent risk factor for HIV, HCV and HBV infections. Older people had a higher proportion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (OR: 2.6, 95%CI: 1.9, 3.7) and HCV positivity (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.1, 2.5).ConclusionOur findings highlighted that much more attention needs to be paid to the health of homeless people.