|
Hepatitis
B Medical Notification 01/10/02 - 31/12/02
During the fourth quarter of 2002, 52 hepatitis B
medical notifications were received.
Of these, only one was an acute clinical case of hepatitis B
infection (Table
3.3). 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 43 cases (Table
3.3).
The exposure category identified for the acute clinical case
was Social/family contact.
Of the 43 reports of antigen positivity of uncertain
duration, 24 tested surface antigen positive for the first time this
quarter, two had a previous negative test and the testing history was
unknown for the 17 remaining cases. Among
the 24 individuals who tested surface antigen positive for the first time,
but were not acute cases, the racial origin of 14 (58%) 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, year.
Exposure category by sex.
| |
Year
01/01/02 - 31/12/02
|
|
Exposure category
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
IDU
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
Heterosexual contact
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Homosexual contact
|
2
|
na
|
2
|
|
Overseas travel
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Social/Family
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Country of birth
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
None identified
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
Total
|
6
|
4
|
10
|
n.a. not
applicable
Table 3.2
Acute hepatitis
B infection, year.
Age group by sex.
|
|
Year
01/01/02
- 31/12/02
|
|
Age group (years)
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
10 - 19
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
20 - 29
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
30 - 39
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
³
50
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
Total
|
6
|
4
|
10
|
Table 3.3
Hepatitis B
infection, 01/10/02 - 31/12/02 and year.
Case category by sex.
|
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/02 - 31/12/02
|
Year
01/01/02 - 31/12/02
|
|
Case category
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
Acute
infection
|
-
|
1
|
6
|
4
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<12months duration
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Antigen positive -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
24
|
19
|
126
|
87
|
213
|
|
Chronic carriers -
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
>12
months duration
|
4
|
4
|
19
|
24
|
43
|
|
Total
|
28
|
24
|
151
|
116
|
267
|
Table 3.4
Individuals who
tested hepatitis B surface antigen positive for the first time,
01/10/02 - 31/12/02 and year. Race by sex.
|
|
4th
Quarter
|
Year
|
|
|
01/10/02
- 31/12/02
|
01/01/02
- 31/12/02
|
|
Racial origin
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
Aboriginal
|
1
|
-
|
5
|
3
|
8
|
|
Asian
|
7
|
7
|
46
|
40
|
86
|
|
Caucasian
|
4
|
1
|
31
|
9
|
40
|
|
Other/unknown
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
7
|
13
|
|
Total
|
14
|
10
|
88
|
59
|
147
|
Table 3.5
Summary of
hepatitis B surface antigen tests, 01/10/02 - 31/12/02
and year.
Laboratory by sex.
|
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/02 - 31/12/02
|
Year
01/01/02 - 31/12/02
|
|
|
Laboratory
|
Male
|
Female
|
Unknown
|
Male
|
Female
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
|
|
Public
|
4809
|
6567
|
13
|
19601
|
27417
|
89
|
47107
|
|
Private
|
2560
|
4092
|
-
|
10203
|
15664
|
-
|
25867
|
|
Total
|
7369
|
10659
|
13
|
29804
|
43081
|
89
|
72974
|
|
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