New Guide for Managing HIV and Hepatitis C Outbreaks Among People Who Inject Drugs

Managing HIV and Hepatitis C Outbreaks Among People Who Inject Drugs—A Guide for State and Local Health Departments. March 2018, Version 1.0

CDC has released Managing HIV and Hepatitis C Outbreaks Among People Who Inject Drugs: A Guide for State and Local Health Departments [PDF-2MB], a guide to help state and local health departments plan for an outbreak of HIV or hepatitis C among people who inject drugs (PWID). The guide includes considerations for developing an outbreak response plan to minimize the impact of the outbreak on the community and stop further transmission.

The current opioid misuse epidemic has increased the number of PWID in the US, and that has substantially increased the risk of transmission of blood-borne viruses, including HIV, hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B virus when using shared equipment. Increases in drug injection are seen in communities not previously considered at high risk of injection-related infections.

Advanced planning can facilitate an effective coordinated response for communities faced with the possibility of future outbreaks of HIV or hepatitis C among networks of PWID.