@article{d21a989a9c1f4a4ab15e8f2462679641,
title = "Dynamics of SEN Virus Infection among Injection Drug Users",
abstract = "SEN virus (SENV) is a recently discovered group of DNA viruses whose members (SENV-D and SENV-H) are linked to posttransfusion hepatitis. Of 397 injection drug users (IDUs) in Baltimore, Maryland, SENV-D infection was detected by polymerase chain reaction in serum samples from 130 (32.7%) and SENV-H infection in 149 (37.5%). Of 41 IDUs in whom SENV-D DNA was initially detected, retesting for viral persistence a median of 9.3 years later detected SENV-D in 25 (61.0%), whereas SENV-H was detected on retesting in only 14 (26.9%) of 52 IDUs in whom the virus was originally found. Reinfection was apparent (>5% nucleotide difference) in 77.8% of IDUs who repeatedly tested positive for SENV-D DNA and in 55.6% of those who repeatedly tested positive for SENV-H DNA. Among Baltimore IDUs, SENV-D and SENV-H infections are common and dynamic, including both viral clearance and reinfection. The clinical significance of SENV infection in this setting remains unknown.",
author = "Wilson, {L. E.} and T. Umemura and J. Astemborski and Ray, {S. C.} and Alter, {H. J.} and Strathdee, {S. A.} and D. Vlahov and Thomas, {D. L.}",
note = "Funding Information: 1Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and 2Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, and 3Department of Transfusion Medicine, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; 4Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, New York Funding Information: Received 11 June 2001; revised 23 July 2001; electronically published 2 October 2001. Presented in part: 39th annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, San Francisco, October 2001 (abstract 201472). Informed consent was obtained from patients, and human experimentation guidelines of the Johns Hopkins Committee on Human Research were followed after written approval. Financial support: National Institutes of Health (DA-12568, DA-04334, and DA-10627). Reprints or correspondence: Dr. David L. Thomas, Dept. of Medicine, Div. of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 424 N. Bond St., Baltimore, MD 21231-1001 (dthomas@jhmi.edu).",
year = "2001",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1086/324001",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "184",
pages = "1315--1319",
journal = "Journal of Infectious Diseases",
issn = "0022-1899",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "10",
}