Dirty Needles Often Used Overseas

Nov. 6, 2003 -- A new study highlights why some infectious diseases -- such as HIV and hepatitis B -- may be running rampant in developing countries.

Findings show a reason overseas travelers need to exercise caution when seeking medical attention in these areas is because there is a high use of contaminated needles.

A study in this week's British Medical Journal reports on a problem found in developing and transitional countries throughout Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Western Pacific.

"Many injections are unnecessary and unsafe," writes researcher Yvan Hutin, PhD, with the World Health Organization in Geneva. "The combination ... results in a major route of transmission for hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus." Other complications include HIV, abscesses, and malaria.

A big problem is reuse of injection equipment without proper sterilization, writes Hutin.

In the study, Hutin's group evaluated injection reports of regions throughout the world: Africa, North America, East Mediterranean, Europe, South East Asia, and Western Pacific.

The researchers found that reuse of equipment in the absence of sterilization ranged from 1.2% to 75%. "Our review indicates that injections are given in a way that may harm the recipient," writes Hutin. "Interestingly, injection practices are safer in sub-Saharan Africa than in the Middle East and South Asia."

Injections given with nonsterile equipment were more common in Southeast Asia (75%), eastern Mediterranean countries (70%), and western Pacific countries (30%). In Eastern and Central Europe, 39% of all injections were given with reused equipment each year.

Western Europe had the lowest reuse -- 1%.

"These figures constitute a call for action since effective and affordable interventions are available," he writes.

SOURCE: Hutin, Y. British Medical Journal, Nov. 8, 2003; vol 327: pp 1075-1077.