Hepatitis B Medical Notification 01/04/01 - 30/06/01
During the second quarter of 2001, 70
hepatitis B medical notifications were received. Of these, three were
acute clinical cases of hepatitis B infection (Tables 3.1,
3.2). A further eight were reports of chronic carriers
of greater than twelve months duration, who had been previously diagnosed,
but not notified (Table 3.3). Reports of antigen
positivity of uncertain duration accounted for 59 cases (Table 3.3).
Exposure categories identified for the
acute clinical cases were injecting drug use (1), heterosexual contact
(1), and unknown risk factors (1) (Table 3.1).
Of the 59 reports of antigen positivity
of uncertain duration, 37 tested surface antigen positive for the first
time this quarter, one had a previous negative test and the testing
history was unknown for the 21 remaining cases. Among the 37 individuals
who tested surface antigen positive for the first time, but were not acute
cases, the racial origin of 26 (70%) was reported as Asian (Table 3.4).
The number of hepatitis B surface
antigen tests performed by laboratories for this quarter is shown in Table
3.5.
Table 3.1 Acute hepatitis B
infection, 01/04/01 - 30/06/01 and year to date. Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/01 - 30/06/01 |
Year to date
01/01/01 - 30/06/01 |
| |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
|
Heterosexual Contact |
- |
1 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
|
Overseas travel |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
Social/Family |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
None identified |
- |
1 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
Total |
1 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
Table 3.2 Acute hepatitis B
infection, 01/04/01 - 30/06/01 and year to date. Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years)
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/01 - 30/06/01 |
Year to date
01/01/01 - 30/06/01 |
| |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
10 - 19 |
- |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
|
20 - 29 |
- |
1 |
- |
3 |
3 |
|
30 - 39 |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
|
40 - 49 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
³ 50 |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Total |
1 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
Table 3.3 Hepatitis B infection,
01/04/01 - 30/06/01 and year to date.
Case category by sex.
|
Case category
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/01 - 30/06/01 |
Year to date
01/01/01 - 30/06/01 |
| |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Acute Infection |
1 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
13 |
|
Antigen positive |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
|
<12months duration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Antigen positive - |
37 |
22 |
68 |
39 |
107 |
|
uncertain duration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chronic carriers - |
2 |
6 |
17 |
13 |
30 |
|
>12 months duration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
40 |
30 |
93 |
59 |
152 |
Table 3.4 Individuals who tested
hepatitis B surface antigen positive for the first time, 01/04/01 -
30/06/01 and year to date. Race by sex.
|
Racial origin |
2nd Quarter |
Year to date |
| |
01/04/01 - 30/06/01 |
01/01/01 - 30/06/01 |
| |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Aboriginal |
1 |
- |
6 |
- |
6 |
|
Asian |
15 |
11 |
27 |
17 |
44 |
|
Caucasian |
5 |
2 |
11 |
5 |
16 |
|
Other/Unknown |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Total |
23 |
14 |
46 |
24 |
70 |
Table 3.5 Summary of hepatitis B
surface antigen tests,
01/04/01 - 30/06/01 and year to date. Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/01 - 30/06/01 |
Year to date
01/01/01 - 30/06/01 |
| |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Public |
4431 |
6725 |
36 |
8979 |
13644 |
79 |
22702 |
|
Private |
2927 |
4250 |
- |
6480 |
9568 |
- |
16048 |
|
Total |
7358 |
10975 |
36 |
15459 |
23212 |
79 |
38750 |
|