Hepatitis C Surveillance in South Australia: QSR
2000 No. 15
Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/01/00 - 31/03/00
In the first quarter of 2000, medical
notifications of hepatitis C infection were received for 323 individuals,
204 (63%) males and 119 (37%) females. Data from medical notifications
show 237 (73%) individuals were first diagnosed with hepatitis C infection
during this period.
Among the 323 notifications, 117
individuals reported a positive hepatitis C test for the first time in
2000 while 42 individuals had earlier, positive tests (before 1995).
Forty-four individuals reported a previous negative test; in 15 cases,
more than 12 months earlier, and 29 within the last year. In a further 120
cases the testing history was unknown. In 199 (71%) instances, past or
present injecting drug use was reported as a likely transmission route for
hepatitis C virus (Table 2.1).
At the time of diagnosis, the majority of
individuals were aged between 20 and 39 years, 117 (67%) males and 63
(59%) females (Table 2.2). Nineteen females (18%) were
aged less than twenty years, of these, 18 had a history of injecting drug
use.
Newly acquired infections - Incident
Cases
During the quarter, 29 incident cases
(infection acquired in the previous 12 months) were identified by negative
serology within the last 12 months. The incident cases comprised 13
females and 16 males. The probable mode of transmission for hepatitis C
virus was injecting drug use in 25 (86%) cases (Table 2.3).
In three cases no recent exposure to hepatitis C was identified. The most
common age-group at diagnosis was 20 to 29 years. Four females and two
males were aged less than 20 years at the time of diagnosis (Table
2.4).
Collated laboratory data for hepatitis C
antibody tests performed during the quarter are shown in Table
2.5.
Table 2.1
Hepatitis C
infection, 01/01/00 - 31/03/00. Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
|
IDU* |
132 |
75 |
67 |
62 |
199 |
71 |
|
Blood transfusion/blood products |
5 |
3 |
15 |
14 |
20 |
7 |
|
Tattoos |
5 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
4 |
|
High prevalence country*** |
11 |
6 |
8 |
8 |
19 |
7 |
|
Other** |
6 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
10 |
3 |
|
Unknown |
15 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
23 |
8 |
|
Total |
174 |
|
107 |
|
281 |
|
* includes IDU in
combination with other categories
** includes -,
household contact, positive sexual partner, possible occupational exposure
*** residence/medical
treatment in a high prevalence country
Table 2.2 Hepatitis C
infection, 01/01/00 - 31/03/00. Age group by sex.
| Age
group (years) |
Male
|
|
Female
|
|
Total
|
|
|
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
|
10 - 19 |
4 |
2 |
19 |
18 |
23 |
8 |
|
20 - 29 |
54 |
31 |
31 |
29 |
85 |
30 |
|
30 - 39 |
63 |
36 |
32 |
30 |
95 |
34 |
|
40 - 49 |
39 |
23 |
11 |
10 |
50 |
18 |
|
³ 50 |
14 |
8 |
14 |
13 |
28 |
10 |
|
Total |
174 |
|
107 |
|
281 |
|
Table 2.3
Newly
acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases*),
01/01/00 - 31/03/00. Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU |
14 |
11 |
25 |
|
Sex partner hepatitis C positive |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
Not identified |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Total |
16 |
13 |
29 |
* Incident cases are
newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.4
Newly
acquired hepatitis C infections (Incident cases*),
01/01/00 - 31/03/00. Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years) |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
10 - 19 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
|
20 - 29 |
11 |
6 |
17 |
|
30 - 39 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
|
40 - 49 |
- |
1 |
1 |
|
Total |
16 |
13 |
29 |
* Incident cases are
newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.5 Summary of
hepatitis C antibody tests, 01/01/00 - 31/03/00.
Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Private |
4138 |
3984 |
- |
8122 |
|
Public |
5197 |
5610 |
70 |
10877 |
|
Total |
9335 |
9594 |
70 |
18999 |
|
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