Addressing the Infectious Disease Consequences of the U.S. Opioid Crisis

ADDRESSING THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONSEQUENCES OF THE U.S. OPIOID CRISIS: CDC’S WORK IMPROVES HEALTH AND SAVES MONEY

Viral hepatitis is increasing at concerning rates: between 2010-2016, new hepatitis C infections increased 249%

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1 of every 10 new HIV infections is among people who inject drugs

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The rate of infants born to hepatitis C-infected mothers increased by 39% nationally in one year alone (2015-2016), primarily due to the nation’s opioid crisis

People who inject drugs are at elevated risk for unsafe sexual practices, such as having sex without a condom, having sex partners who are injection drug users, or engaging in sex work. Such high-risk sex behavior puts injectable drug users at elevated risk for acquiring a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and for transmitting an STD to their sexual network

$100 MILLION IN MEDICAL COSTS

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the result of a 2015 outbreak of diseases linked to opioid use in Indiana

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• 235 people were diagnosed with HIV
• greater than 90% were co-infected with hepatitis C

INJECTION DRUG USE, FUELED BY THE U.S. OPIOID CRISIS, IS CAUSING A DRAMATIC RISE IN VIRAL HEPATITIS INFECTIONS

How CDC is Responding to Increases in Viral Hepatitis Among People Who Inject Drugs

• CDC identified 44 states, one territory, and one tribal nation with areas either experiencing or at-risk of a hepatitis C or HIV outbreak due to injection drug use.
• CDC provides technical assistance on the most effective strategies for engaging people who inject drugs into treatment for drug use and infectious diseases
• CDC invests in efforts that combine public health surveillance and cutting-edge analyses to identify transmission clusters of viral hepatitis and HIV and respond to outbreaks
• CDC promotes school-based primary prevention programs that include education, connection to screening and services, positive youth development, and parent and community engagement

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

ADDRESSING THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONSEQUENCES OF THE U.S. OPIOID CRISIS: CDC’S WORK IMPROVES HEALTH AND SAVES MONEY

PREVENTING HIV AND VIRAL HEPATITIS AMONG PEOPLE WHO INJECT DRUGS

Comprehensive, community-based prevention services are vital to prevent infections among people who inject drugs. These services:

[right arrow icon] Support drug treatment and recovery, including medication-assisted therapy, which can help people stop injecting

[right arrow icon] Provide a range of services to reduce transmission of viral hepatitis and HIV—including testing, hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccination, linkage to care and treatment, and access to sterile syringes and injection equipment

SYRINGE SERVICES PROGRAMS KEEP AMERICANS SAFE

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New users of syringe services programs were 5 times as likely to enter drug treatment than those who never used the program

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When used in combination with medication-assisted therapies to help people stop injecting drugs, syringe services programs can lead to a 70% decrease in hepatitis C transmission

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1 in 3 officers may be stuck with a needle during their career; SSPs reduce needlestick injuries by providing proper disposal

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention