|
Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/01/05 - 31/03/05
In the first quarter of 2005, 167 medical
notifications of hepatitis C infection were received (101 males, 60%; 66
females, 40%). Included in the notifications were 156 individuals newly
diagnosed with hepatitis C infection (Table
2.1).
Medical notification reported 55 individuals as
having no previous hepatitis C test while 11 individuals had earlier,
positive tests (before 1995). Forty seven notifications reported previous
negative tests; in 11 cases within the last 12 months, and in 36 cases
more than 12 months earlier. In a further 37 cases the testing history was
unknown. Among newly
diagnosed infections, past or present injecting drug use was reported as a
transmission route for hepatitis C virus in 110 (70%) cases
(Table 2.1).
At diagnosis, most individuals were aged between
20 and 49 years; 80 (85%) males and 52 (84%) females (Table 2.2).
Newly acquired infections - Incident Cases
Incident
cases are identified by hepatitis C antibody seroconversion within 12
months, or a positive test accompanied by acute clinical hepatitis not
ascribed to other causes. During the quarter 14 incident cases were identified; 13 had
negative serology in the previous 12 months and one case with clinical
hepatitis had a negative test more than 12 months earlier.
The incident cases comprised eight males and five
females. The probable mode of transmission for hepatitis C virus was
injecting drug use in 12 cases; in one case the transmission route is not
yet known (Table
2.3).The age range at diagnosis was 21 to 39 years (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, 01/01/05 - 31/03/05.
Exposure category by sex.
|
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Exposure category |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
|
IDU1 |
64
|
68
|
33
|
53
|
97
|
62
|
|
IDU/Tattoos |
6
|
7
|
7
|
11
|
13
|
8
|
|
Blood transfusion/products2 |
3
|
3
|
5
|
8
|
8
|
5
|
|
Tattoos |
4
|
4
|
2
|
3
|
6
|
4
|
|
High prevalence country3 |
5
|
5
|
7
|
11
|
12
|
8
|
|
Other4 |
5
|
5
|
4
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
|
Unknown |
7
|
8
|
4
|
7
|
11
|
7
|
|
Total |
94
|
-
|
62
|
-
|
156
|
-
|
1
includes IDU in combination with categories other than tattoos (4
cases)
2 receipt of blood products
pre-1990
3 residence/medical treatment in a high
prevalence overseas country
4 includes:
acupuncture (4), household (1) & sexual (1) transmission, snorting
(1), body piercing (2).
Table 2.2
Hepatitis C
infection, 01/01/05 - 31/03/05.
Age group by sex.
|
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Age group
(years) |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
|
10 - 19 |
4
|
4
|
3
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
|
20 - 29 |
31
|
33
|
16
|
26
|
47
|
30
|
|
30 - 39 |
28
|
30
|
23
|
37
|
51
|
33
|
|
40 - 49 |
21
|
22
|
13
|
21
|
34
|
22
|
|
³
50 |
10
|
11
|
7
|
11
|
17
|
11
|
|
Total |
94
|
-
|
62
|
-
|
156
|
-
|
Table 2.3
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases*)
01/01/05 - 31/03/05. Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU |
8
|
4
|
12
|
|
Unknown |
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Total |
8
|
5
|
13
|
*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.4
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases*),
01/01/05 - 31/03/05. Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years) |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
20 - 24
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
|
25 - 29
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
30 - 34
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
|
35 - 39
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
Total
|
8
|
5
|
13
|
*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.5
Summary of
hepatitis C antibody tests, 01/01/05 - 31/03/05.
Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Private |
2835
|
4352
|
7187
|
|
Public |
5964
|
7959
|
13923
|
|
Total |
8799
|
12311
|
21110
|
|
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