|
Hepatitis B Medical Notification 01/01/05 - 31/03/05
During the first quarter of 2005, 77 hepatitis B
medical notifications were received.
Of these, only three were acute clinical cases of hepatitis B
infection (Table 3.1). A
further 14 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
60 cases (Table 3.1).
The exposure category for the acute infection in the under 10
year old male was his country of birth.
The exposure categories for the other two acute clinical cases are
still under investigation (Table
3.2).
Of
the 60 reports of antigen positivity of uncertain duration, 37 tested
surface antigen positive for the first time this quarter and the testing
history was unknown for the remaining 23 cases (Table 3.3). Among the 37 individuals who tested surface
antigen positive for the first time, but were not acute cases, the racial
origin of 11 (30%) 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
Hepatitis B
infection, 01/01/05 - 31/03/05.
Case category by sex.
|
Case category |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Acute Infection |
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
Antigen positivity -
uncertain
duration |
39
|
21
|
60
|
|
Chronic carriers -
>12 months duration |
7
|
7
|
14
|
|
Total |
48
|
29
|
77
|
Table
3.2 Acute Hepatitis B infection
01/01/05 - 31/03/05.
Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years) |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
<10
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
20-29
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
>50
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Total
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
Table
3.3 Hepatitis B cases of uncertain duration, 01/01/05 - 31/03/05.
Previous test by sex.
|
Racial origin |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Not done |
23
|
14
|
37
|
|
Unknown |
16
|
7
|
23
|
|
Total |
21
|
39
|
60
|
Table
3.4 Individuals who tested hepatitis B surface antigen
positive
for the first time, 01/01/05 - 31/03/05. Race by sex.
|
Racial origin |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Aboriginal
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
|
Asian
|
5
|
6
|
11
|
|
Caucasian
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
Other
|
11
|
4
|
15
|
|
Unknown
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
|
Total |
23
|
14
|
37
|
Table
3.5
Summary of
hepatitis B surface antigen tests,
01/01/05 - 31/03/05. Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Private |
1849
|
3573
|
-
|
5422
|
|
Public |
5584
|
7948
|
20
|
13552
|
|
Total |
7433
|
11521
|
20
|
18974
|
|
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