The study aims to assess the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) among intravenous drug users (IDUs) in Shanghai, China, involving 432 participants.
Initial screening found 60.6% seropositive for HCV, with subsequent testing confirming an overall seropositive rate of 18.8% and a lower active infection rate of 4.2%.
The findings suggest that HCV prevalence is relatively low among these IDUs, with a spontaneous recovery rate higher than previously reported estimates.