Prevalence and epidemiological characteristics of inmates diagnosed with infectious diseases living in a region with a high number of prisons in São Paulo state, Brazil.

Our findings demonstrate that the number of cases of infectious disease among inmates in the northwestern and western region of São Paulo is probably underestimated, with lower rates of HCV, HBV and syphilis. This represents a challenge to prisoners' health. Improvements in diagnosis, mainly to reduce viral hepatitis, are crucial with benefits for inmates and the general population.