QSR 2003, No 28: Hepatitis C Surveillance in South Australia

Hepatitis C Surveillance in South Australia

Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/04/04 - 30/06/04

In the second quarter of 2004, 202 medical notifications of hepatitis C infection were received for 125 (63%) males and 75 (37%) females. Among these 202 cases, 184 individuals were newly diagnosed with Hepatitis C infection (Table 2.1).

Medical notification reported 80 individuals as having no previous hepatitis C test while 18 individuals had earlier, positive tests (before 1995). Twenty-nine individuals recorded a previous negative test; in 8 cases within the last 12 months and in 21 cases more than 12 months earlier. In a further 75 cases the testing history was unknown. In 127 (70%) newly diagnosed infections, past or present injecting drug use was reported as a likely transmission route for hepatitis C virus

At diagnosis, most individuals were aged between 20 and 49 years, 99 (77%) males and 55 (80%) females (Table 2.2).

Newly acquired infections - Incident Cases

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.

Ten incident cases were identified during the quarter, eight had negative serology in the preceding 12 months while two individuals presented with clinical hepatitis. The incident cases comprised eight males and two females. In eight cases the likely mode of transmission for hepatitis C virus was injecting drug use (Table 2.3).

Collated laboratory data for hepatitis C antibody tests performed during the quarter are shown in Table 2.5.

Table 2.1 Hepatitis C infection, 01/04/04 - 30/06/04 and year to date.
Exposure category by sex.

Exposure category	2nd Quarter 01/04/04 - 30/06/04		Year to date 01/01/04 - 30/06/04
Exposure category	Male	Female	Male	Female	Total
IDU¹	80	37	162	81	243
IDU / tattoos	7	3	18	5	23
Blood transfusion/products	3	8	12	10	22
Tattoos	5	1	10	3	13
Other²	1	4	8	12	20
High prevalence country³	11	10	17	14	31
Unknown/not identified	8	6	21	18	39
Total	115	69	248	143	391

1 Includes IDU in combination with categories other than tattoos

2 includes - perinatal & household transmission, body piercing, occupational exposure, sexual.

³ ^{residence/medical treatment in a high prevalence country overseas.}

Table 2.2 Hepatitis C infection, 01/04/04 - 30/06/04 and year to date.
Age group by sex.

Age group (years)	2nd Quarter 01/04/04 - 30/06/04		Year to date 01/01/04 - 30/06/04
Age group (years)	Male	Female	Male	Female	Total
< 10	1	-	2	1	3
10 - 19	2	3	5	10	15
20 - 29	21	22	45	40	85
30 - 39	36	17	82	43	125
40 - 49	42	16	85	31	116
³ 50	13	11	29	18	47
Total	115	69	248	143	391

Table 2.3 Newly acquired hepatitis C infections (incident cases*),
01/04/04 - 30/06/04 and year to date. Exposure category by sex.

Exposure category	2nd Quarter 01/04/04 - 30/06/04		Year to date 01/01/04 - 30/06/04
Exposure category	Male	Female	Male	Female	Total
IDU	6	2	14	4	18
IDU / Tattoo	-	-	1	-	1
Tattoo	-	-	1	1	2
Blood transfusion	1	-	1	-	1
Occupational exposure	-	-	-	1	1
Not stated	1	-	1	2	3
Total	8	2	18	8	26

^{*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text}

Table 2.4 Newly acquired hepatitis C infections (incident cases^*),
01/04/04 - 30/06/04 and year to date. Age group by sex.

Age group (years)	2nd Quarter 01/04/04 - 30/06/04		Year to date 01/01/04 - 30/06/04
Age group (years)	Male	Female	Male	Female	Total
<10	1	-	1	-	1
15 - 19	-	1	1	2	3
20 - 24	2	1	4	2	6
25 - 29	-	-	1	1	2
30 - 34	1	-	5	1	6
35 - 39	-	-	3	1	4
≥ 40	3	-	3	1	4
Total	8	2	18	8	26

^{*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text}

Table 2.5 Summary of hepatitis C antibody tests, 01/04/04 - 30/06/04.
and year to date. Laboratory by sex.

Laboratory	2nd Quarter 01/04/04 - 30/06/04			Year to date 01/01/04 - 30/06/04
Laboratory	Male	Female	Unknown	Male	Female	Unknown	Total
Public	5424	7289	-	11086	14974	-	26060
Private	3008	4252	-	6061	8720	-	14781
Total	8432	11541	-	17147	23694	-	40841

Related Pages

Hepatitis C Surveillance in South Australia

Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/04/04 - 30/06/04

Newly acquired infections - Incident Cases