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Hepatitis C Surveillance in South Australia: QSR 1999, No. 14

Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/10/99 - 31/12/99

In the fourth quarter of 1999, medical notifications of hepatitis C infection were received for 312 individuals, 202 (63%) males and 120 (37%) females.

Among the notifications, 262 (81%) individuals were first diagnosed as infected with hepatitis C during 1999. Of these, 120 had never been tested before for hepatitis C; in a further 85 cases the testing history was unknown. In 57 cases a previous negative test was reported, 25 were tested more than 12 months earlier, whilst 32 were tested within the last year.

On 180 (69%) notifications, past or present injecting drug use was reported as the likely transmission route for hepatitis C virus (Table 2.1). The age range at diagnosis for most males was 20 to 39 years, 105 (64%) cases; 61 (62%) females were aged between 20 and 39 years (Table 2.2).

Incident Cases

Thirty two incident cases were identified during the quarter, 30 had negative serology in the previous 12 months. The incident cases comprised 12 females and 20 males. The probable mode of transmission for hepatitis C virus was injecting drug use in 29 cases (Table 2.3). The most common age-group at diagnosis was 20 to 29 years (Table 2.4).

Collated laboratory data for hepatitis C antibody tests are shown in Table 2.5.

Table 2.1 Hepatitis C infection, 01/10/99 - 31/12/99 and year to date.
Exposure category by sex.

* includes IDU in combination with other categories.

** includes - body piercing, possible occupational exposure, positive sexual partner.

*** residence/medical treatment in a high prevalence country

Table 2.2 Hepatitis C infection, 01/10/99 - 31/12/99 and year to date.
               Age group by sex.

Table 2.3 Incident cases of hepatitis C infection, 01/10/99 - 31/12/99 and
               year to date. Exposure category by sex.

Table 2.4 Incident cases of hepatitis C infection, 01/10/99 - 31/12/99 and
                year to date. Age group by sex.

Table 2.5 Summary of laboratory tests for hepatitis C antibodies, 01/10/99 - 31/12/99 and year to date. Laboratory by sex.

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