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Volume 19, Number 1—January 2013
Research

Infections with Spore-forming Bacteria in Persons Who Inject Drugs, 2000–2009

Norah E. PalmateerComments to Author , Vivian D. Hope, Kirsty Roy, Andrea Marongiu, Joanne M. White, Kathie A. Grant, Colin N. Ramsay, David J. Goldberg, and Fortune Ncube
Author affiliations: Author affiliations: Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, Scotland, UK (N.E. Palmateer, K. Roy, C.N. Ramsay, D.J. Goldberg); Health Protection Agency, London, UK (V.D. Hope, A. Marongiu, J.M. White, K.A. Grant, F. Ncube); London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London (V.D. Hope)

Main Article

Table 2

Sex distribution and median age of PWID with botulism, tetanus, Clostridium novyi infection, and anthrax among a community sample of PWID, England and Scotland, 2000–2009*

PWID England
Scotland
No.† Female, % p value‡ No.† Median age, y (IQR) p value§ No.† Female, % p value‡ No. Median age, y (IQR) p value§
Community¶ 1,732 24 1,711 32 (11) 1,763 26 1,772 33 (10)
With botulism 139 30 0.157 128 37 (13) <0.001 18 11 0.186 13# 31 (5) 0.670
With tetanus 28 46 0.006 28 35 (19) 0.067 5 60 0.112 5 47 (17) 0.065
With C. novyi infection 32 44 0.011 32 33 (11) 0.654 60 52 <0.001 57# 30 (8) 0.086
With anthrax NA NA 13 38 0.297 13 35 (9) 0.093
Total with infection 199 32 0.002 188 35.5 (13.5) <0.001 96 43 <0.001 88 31 (9) 0.232

*PWID, persons who inject drugs; IQR, Interquartile range; NA, not applicable.
†For the community samples, information about sex of 8 (England) and 9 (Scotland) persons was missing, and information about age for 29 persons (England) was missing.
‡Based on the χ2 test or Fisher exact test (where tabular cell counts were <5 for the difference in proportion of female case-patients with the respective infections and the community sample of PWID).
§Based on the Mann-Whitney test for the difference in median age between the case-patients with the respective infection(s) and the community sample of PWID.
¶Data from the Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring Survey 2005 (15) for England (n = 1,740) and from the Needle Exchange Surveillance Initiative 2008/2009 (16) for Scotland (n = 1,772).
#Complete data on age were available for 13/18 botulism case-patients and 57/60 C. novyi case-patients.

Main Article

Page created: December 20, 2012
Page updated: December 20, 2012
Page reviewed: December 20, 2012
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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