Hepatitis B Medical Notification 01/04/03 - 30/06/03
During
the second quarter of 2003, 58 hepatitis B medical notifications were
received. Of these, three
were acute clinical cases of hepatitis B infection (Table 3.1).
A further ten 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
45 cases (Table 3.1).
Exposure categories were unable to be identified for
the three acute clinical cases who were all aged over 30 years.
Of
the 45 reports of antigen
positivity of uncertain duration, 33 tested surface antigen positive for
the first time this quarter, one had a previous negative test and the
testing history was unknown for the remaining 11 cases. Among the 33 individuals who tested surface antigen positive
for the first time, but were not acute cases, the racial origin of 20
(60%) 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, 01/04/03 - 30/06/03 and year to date.
Case category by sex.
|
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
|
Case category
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Acute Infection |
2
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
|
Antigen positive -
uncertain duration |
27
|
18
|
54
|
32
|
86
|
|
Chronic carriers -
>12 months duration |
6
|
4
|
9
|
9
|
18
|
|
Total |
35
|
23
|
66
|
42
|
108
|
Table
3.2 Individuals who
tested hepatitis B surface antigen positive for
the first time, 01/04/03 - 30/06/03 and year to date. Race by sex.
|
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
| Racial origin |
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Aboriginal |
1
|
-
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
Asian |
10
|
10
|
24
|
17
|
41
|
|
Caucasian |
7
|
2
|
13
|
4
|
17
|
|
Other/Unknown |
3
|
-
|
5
|
2
|
7
|
|
Total |
21
|
12
|
44
|
24
|
68
|
Table
3.3 Summary of
hepatitis B surface antigen tests, 01/04/03 - 30/06/03
and year to date. Laboratory by sex.
|
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
|
Laboratory |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Public |
5094
|
7115
|
30
|
9889
|
14350
|
61
|
24300
|
|
Private |
2508
|
4227
|
-
|
5148
|
8709
|
-
|
13857
|
|
Total |
7602
|
11342
|
30
|
15037
|
23059
|
61
|
38157
|
|
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