Drug-related infectious diseases

Overview

The sharing of injecting equipment increases the risk of transmitting and acquiring blood-borne infections, such as HIV and hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV), and invasive bacterial infections. These drug-related infectious diseases (DRID) constitute a high morbidity and mortality burden among people who inject drugs (PWID). Drug use before and during sex is also linked to increased risk for HIV, HCV and bacterial sexually transmitted infections. The EMCDDA works with the DRID expert network to monitor the prevalence, incidence and risk factors for drug-related infectious diseases in Europe, and to document the coverage of effective interventions.