Transmission of hepatitis C within Australian prisons

Transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) within prisons has long been suspec ted but has not been satisfactorily documented. We present four cases of HC V infection occurring during periods of continuous imprisonment. Each subje ct was HCV seronegative on entering prison and on repeat testing after 4-52 months in prison, but subsequently became seropositive. Two subjects gave a history of injecting drug use, and the most likely means of infection in the other two subjects were lacerations from barbers shears and lacerations arising from physical assault. There is an urgent need for detailed study of the incidence of HCV infection and the modes of transmission in prisons.