Two in five injecting drug users are infected with hepatitis C

The Health Protection Agency figures for 2003 showed 18% of those who had first injected in the past three years were infected with the disease.

The report also revealed evidence of MRSA infections - the superbug traditionally associated with hospitals - as well as rises in other infections.

More needed to be done to prevent drug misusers getting infections, it added.

The report highlighted a number of priorities for service providers, which would help reduce the burden of infection.

It said high-quality needle exchange services for those unable to stop injecting needed to be developed further.

Vulnerable

Better and clearer information, advice on safe injecting and access to regular health checks was also required, the study called, Shooting Up, said.

Report author Dr Fortune Ncube said: "This report is a timely reminder that injecting drug users are vulnerable to a wide range of infectious diseases.

"The continued sharing of injecting equipment and the worsening injecting related hygiene are key factors in the ongoing transmission of infections in injecting drug users in particular amongst those who began injecting in the last three years."

Drug use may be illegal but people still need help Drugscope spokeswoman

And HPA chief executive Professor Pat Troop added: "Most of these diseases are preventable and can be treated.

"It is vital that we continue to make every effort to encourage and support injectors to protect their health and also that of the wider population."

The report revealed that of 365 people who injected drugs for the first time in the three years up to 2003, 67 (18%) were infected with hepatitis C.

In 2000, 767 injecting drug users were surveyed and 66 (9%) had the disease.

Overall, of the 6,187 hepatitis C diagnoses in England in 2003, 94% indicated injecting drug use as a possible cause.

In 2000, there were 4,892 diagnoses of which 92% cited injecting drug use.

In Scotland all 308 people diagnosed with the infection cited injecting drug use compared to 97% of the 341 three years earlier.

The report also said there had been a rise in bacterial infections.

From April to December 2003, 18 cases of MRSA blood poisoning were identified among injecting drug users.

Paralysis

Cases of severe group A streptococcus had also increased from less than 10 per year in the mid 1990s to 160 in 2003.

And wound botulism, which can lead to paralysis and death, rose from none in 2000 to 14 reported cases in 2003.

There was also an outbreak of tetanus, which has been rare among drug users in the UK, in 2003 with 11 cases reported.

However, the number of HIV infections from injecting drug use fell from 114 cases in 2000 to 90 in 2003 - although the latest figure is only provisional.

A spokeswoman for Drugscope said the report showed that drug users were still injecting unsafely.

She said the debate needed to move away from the rights and wrongs of drug use to how best those that did inject drugs could be protected.

"Drug use may be illegal but people still need help. The rise in hepatitis C is particularly worrying.