HEPATITIS-C TRANSMISSION THROUGH TATTOOING - A CASE-REPORT

We report the case of a prisoner for whom tattooing was the likely sou rce of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Many of the tattoos were car ried out within prison using equipment that was multiply shared with o ther prisoners with limited access to means of disinfection. This case supports previous reports that prison is a risk factor for HCV infect ion and that HCV can be transmitted through tattooing Use of unsterili sed equipment for tattooing within prison must be a high-risk activity , given the high prevalence of HCV infection among those incarcerated. Harm reduction approaches are required to diminish risk in this envir onment.