Hepatitis B Medical Notification 01/01/03 - 31/03/03
During
the first quarter of 2003, 43 hepatitis B medical notifications were
received. Of these, only one
was an acute clinical case of hepatitis B infection (Table 3.1).
A further five were reports of chronic carriers of greater than
twelve months duration, who had been previously diagnosed but not
notified. Reports of antigen
positivity of uncertain duration accounted for 37 cases (Table
3.2).
The
acute infection was in a male in the 40-49 year old age group with no risk
factors identified.
Of
the 37 reports of antigen positivity of uncertain duration, 29 tested
surface antigen positive for the first time this quarter and the testing
history was unknown for the remaining eight cases.
Among the 29 individuals who tested surface antigen positive for
the first time, but were not acute cases, the racial origin of 18 (62%)
was reported as Asian (Table 3.2).
The number of hepatitis B surface
antigen tests performed by laboratories for this quarter is shown in
Table 3.3.
Table 3.1
Hepatitis B
infection, 01/01/03 - 31/03/03.
Case category by sex.
|
Case category |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Acute Infection |
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
Antigen positivity -
uncertain
duration |
27
|
10
|
37
|
|
Chronic carriers -
>12 months duration |
1
|
4
|
5
|
|
Total |
29
|
14
|
43
|
Table 3.2
Individuals who
tested hepatitis B surface antigen positive
for the first time, 01/01/03 - 31/03/03. Race by sex.
|
Racial origin |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Aboriginal |
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Asian |
12
|
6
|
18
|
|
Caucasian |
7
|
1
|
8
|
|
Other |
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
Total |
21
|
8
|
29
|
Table 3.3
Summary of
hepatitis B surface antigen tests, 01/01/03 - 31/03/03.
Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Private |
2640
|
4482
|
-
|
7122
|
|
Public |
4795
|
7235
|
15
|
12045
|
|
Total |
7435
|
11717
|
15
|
19167
|
|
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