U.S.: 1 in 12 Truckers Has Hepatitis C

In a 2004-2006 study of long-distance truckers in New Mexico, state Department of Health researchers found that 8.5 percent had hepatitis C, most likely due to IV drug use. Many did not know about their HCV infection, and most had not injected drugs in years or decades.

Of 652 drivers who were approached at truck stops and agreed to participate, 54 tested HCV-positive, including 36 who reported using IV drugs at least once in their lives. Many had used the drugs in their teens and 20s, said study co-author Dr. Steve Jenison, medical director of the department's infectious-diseases bureau. Only nine drivers, or 1.4 percent of those studied, reporting using IV drugs within the previous year.

Other positive tests results were: hepatitis B anticore (anti-HBc) antibodies, 66 drivers; chlamydia, eight; gonorrhea, one; syphilis, one; and HIV, one.

"Almost all of those we talked to said it had been years or decades since they used injected drugs," Jenison said. "Most said they regretted it and put it behind them."

Jenison and colleagues suggested that trucking firms offer comprehensive health screenings that accommodate the working life of long-haul drivers, who travel an average of 288 days a year. "We talked to the ones that were hepatitis C-positive, and the great majority of them didn't know they had it," Jenison said. "They had never been tested before. It is worthwhile knowing whether you have hepatitis C and knowing whether or not your hep C is moving in the direction of cirrhosis of the liver."

The full report, "Risk Assessment and Screening for Sexually Transmitted Infections, HIV, and Hepatitis Virus Among Long-Distance Truck Drivers in New Mexico, 2004-2006," was published in the American Journal of Public Health (2009;99(11):2063-2068).

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