Volume 17, Number 8—August 2011
Letter
Acute Hepatitis C Outbreak among HIV-infected Men, Madrid, Spain
Ana Montoya-Ferrer
, Daniel Seth Fierer, Beatriz Alvarez-Alvarez, Miguel de Gorgolas, and Manuel L. Fernandez-Guerrero
, Daniel Seth Fierer, Beatriz Alvarez-Alvarez, Miguel de Gorgolas, and Manuel L. Fernandez-GuerreroTable
Description of 4 HIV-infected men with HCV infection, Madrid, Spain, 2010*
| Characteristic | Patient 1 | Patient 2 | Patient 3 | Patient 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 31 | 41 | 39 | 39 |
| Country of origin | Italy | Ecuador | Spain | Spain |
| Date of HIV diagnosis | 2006 Jun | 2000 Jul | 1998 | 2001 |
| Year ART initiated | 2008 | 2000 | 2006 | 2006 |
| Prior negative HCV test | 2006 | None† | None† | 2008 |
| Date AHC diagnosed | May 2010 | May 2010 | May 2010 | May 2010 |
| CD4 count, cells/μL | 562 | 327 | 787 | 750 |
| HIV viral load | Undetectable | Undetectable | Undetectable | Undetectable |
| Symptoms at diagnosis | No | Mild asthenia only | No | No |
| ALT/AST levels at AHC diagnosis, U/L | 564/331 | 304/216 | 222/114 | 261/125 |
| HCV genotype | 4 | 4 | 1a | Indeterminate |
| HCV RNA load, IU/mL (log10 IU/mL) | 950,556 (5.98) | 629,875 (5.80) | 11,827 (4.07) | 2,254,258 (6.35) |
| HCV RNA load fluctuation within 3 mo, log10 IU/mL | 4.32 | <1.00 | 1.33 | <1.00 |
| Unprotected anal intercourse | No | No | No | Serosorting‡ |
| STI in previous 6 mo | Proctitis | Syphilis | No | Proctitis |
| Group sex (>2 persons) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Drug use | Amyl nitrate only | No | No | No |
*HCV, hepatitis C virus; ART: antiretroviral therapy; AHC, acute hepatitis C infection; ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; STI, sexually transmitted infection.
†Both patients had normal transaminase levels in the 4 y before AHC diagnosis.
‡Unprotected sex between seroconcordant partners (HIV positive).
