Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/04/03 - 30/06/03
In
the second quarter of 2003, medical notifications of hepatitis C infection
were received for 181 individuals, 118 (65%) males and 63 (35%) females.
Among the notifications, 33 cases were reported
as having an earlier positive test (pre-1995), whilst 65 individuals had
never been tested before for hepatitis C infection. In a further 49 cases
the testing history was unknown. Of 34 individuals with a previous
negative test, 21 were tested more than 12 months earlier and 13 were
tested within the last year. In 121 (67%) 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 males (82%) were aged between 20
and 49 years, while most females (65%) were in the 20 to 39 year age range
(Table 2.2). Of
three males and six females aged less than twenty years (nine cases),
seven had a history of injecting drug use.
Incident cases are infections acquired
in the last 12 months, and are identified by recent seroconversion for
hepatitis C antibodies or a positive test accompanied by acute clinical
illness not ascribed to other causes.
Fourteen
incident cases were identified during the quarter, 13 had negative
serology in the preceding 12 months and one had clinical hepatitis.
The incident cases comprised seven males and seven females.
In 13 incident cases, the likely mode of transmission for hepatitis
C virus was injecting drug use (Table 2.3).
At the time of diagnosis most incident cases (13) were less than 35
years of age (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, 01/04/03 - 30/06/03 and
year to date.
Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU1 |
59
|
25
|
142
|
80
|
222
|
|
IDU / tattoos |
8
|
2
|
14
|
6
|
20
|
|
Blood transfusion/products |
4
|
3
|
10
|
9
|
19
|
|
Tattoos |
12
|
3
|
22
|
5
|
27
|
|
Other2 |
2
|
3
|
3
|
7
|
10
|
|
High prevalence country3 |
5
|
3
|
16
|
7
|
23
|
|
Unknown |
7
|
12
|
17
|
19
|
36
|
|
Total |
97
|
51
|
224
|
133
|
357
|
1
Includes IDU in combination with categories other than tattoos
2
includes - perinatal
& household transmission, body piercing, occupational exposure,
assault.
3
residence/medical treatment in a high prevalence country overseas.
Table
2.2 Hepatitis C infection, 01/04/03 - 30/06/03 and year to
date.
Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years)
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
< 10 |
1
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
10 - 19 |
2
|
6
|
3
|
9
|
12
|
|
20 - 29 |
26
|
12
|
57
|
43
|
100
|
|
30 - 39 |
27
|
21
|
66
|
45
|
111
|
|
40 - 49 |
27
|
7
|
64
|
23
|
87
|
|
³
50 |
14
|
4
|
33
|
12
|
45
|
|
Total |
97
|
51
|
224
|
133
|
357
|
Table 2.3
Newly acquired hepatitis C infections (Incident cases*),
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 and year to date.
Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU |
5
|
7
|
17
|
13
|
30
|
|
IDU / Tattoo |
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
Tattoo/sex partner HCV+ |
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
IDU /blood transfusion |
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Sex partner HCV+ |
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Other |
-
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
Total |
7
|
7
|
20
|
15
|
35
|
*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.4
Newly acquired hepatitis C infections (Incident cases*),
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 and year to date. Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years)
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
15 - 19 |
1
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
|
20 - 29 |
2 |
2
|
9
|
7 |
16
|
|
30 - 39 |
3
|
2
|
6
|
4
|
10
|
|
40 - 49 |
-
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
≥
50
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
Total |
7
|
7
|
20
|
15
|
35
|
*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.5
Summary of hepatitis C antibody tests, 01/04/03 - 30/06/03.
and year to date. Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/03 - 30/06/03 |
Year to date
01/01/03 - 30/06/03 |
|
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Public |
5375
|
6861
|
22
|
10358
|
13576
|
179
|
24113
|
|
Private |
3327
|
4600
|
-
|
6929
|
9400
|
-
|
16329
|
|
Total |
8702
|
11461
|
22
|
17287
|
22976
|
179
|
40442
|
|
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