Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/04/05 - 30/06/05
In the second
quarter of 2005, 186 medical notifications of hepatitis C infection were
received for 124 (67%) males and 62 (33%) females. Among these were 159 individuals newly diagnosed with
Hepatitis C infection (Table 2.1).
Medical
notification reported 61 individuals as having no previous hepatitis C
test while 27 individuals had earlier positive tests. Forty individuals recorded a previous negative test; in 11
cases within the last 12 months and in 29 cases more than 12 months
earlier. In a further 58
cases the testing history was unknown.
Among 159 cases with newly diagnosed infections, past or present
injecting drug use (IDU) was reported as a likely transmission route for
hepatitis C virus in 104 (65%) cases (Table 2.1).
At
diagnosis, the majority of cases were aged between 20 and 49 years; 91
males (85%), and 44 females (86%) (Table 2.2).
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.
Of
13 incident cases were identified during the quarter, 11 had negative
serology in the preceding 12 months while two individuals presented with
clinical hepatitis. The
incident cases comprised eight males and five females. In 11 cases the
likely mode of transmission for hepatitis C virus was IDU; in one case no
exposure was identified and one further case with multiple risks including
body piercing is under investigation
(Table 2.3, Table 2.4).
Three incident cases were Aboriginal and 10 were Caucasian
(Table 2.5).
Collated laboratory data for hepatitis C antibody
tests performed during the quarter are shown in Table
2.6.
Table 2.1
Hepatitis C infection, 01/04/05 - 30/06/05 and
year to date.
Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 |
Year to date
01/01/05 - 30/06/05 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU1 |
66
|
27
|
131
|
60
|
191
|
|
IDU / tattoos |
7
|
4
|
15
|
12
|
27
|
|
Blood transfusion/products2 |
2
|
5
|
5
|
10
|
15
|
|
Tattoos |
9
|
1
|
13
|
2
|
15
|
|
Other3 |
2
|
1
|
7
|
6
|
13
|
|
High prevalence country4 |
11
|
8
|
17
|
15
|
32
|
|
Unknown/not identified |
11
|
5
|
16
|
12
|
28
|
|
Total |
108
|
51
|
204
|
117
|
321
|
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, 01/04/05 - 30/06/05 and year to
date.
Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years)
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 |
Year to date
01/01/05 - 30/06/05 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
10 - 19 |
6
|
1
|
10
|
3
|
13
|
|
20 - 29 |
31
|
17
|
64
|
34
|
98
|
|
30 - 39 |
26
|
16
|
52
|
43
|
95
|
|
40 - 49 |
34
|
11
|
55
|
22
|
77
|
|
³
50 |
11
|
6
|
23
|
15
|
38
|
|
Total |
108
|
51
|
204
|
117
|
321
|
Table 2.3
Newly acquired hepatitis C infections (incident cases*),
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 and year to date.
Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 |
Year to date
01/01/05 - 30/06/05 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU |
7
|
4
|
16
|
8
|
23
|
|
Piercing/non-injecting
DU |
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
Not identified/un
known |
-
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
Total |
8
|
5
|
17
|
10
|
27
|
*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.4
Newly acquired hepatitis C infections (incident cases*),
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 and year to date. Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years)
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 |
Year to date
01/01/05 - 30/06/05 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
10
- 19 |
1
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
20 - 29 |
5
|
2
|
10
|
4
|
14
|
|
30
- 39 |
1
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
10
|
|
≥
40
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Total |
8
|
5
|
17
|
10
|
27
|
*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table
2.5
Newly acquired hepatitis C infections (incident cases*),
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 and year to date. Racial origin by sex.
|
Racial origin
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 |
Year to date
01/01/05 - 30/06/05 |
|
Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
|
Caucasian
|
7
|
3
|
14
|
7
|
21
|
|
Total |
8
|
5
|
17
|
10
|
27
|
Table
2.6
Summary of hepatitis C antibody tests, 01/04/05 - 30/06/05.
and year to date. Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory
|
2nd Quarter
01/04/05 - 30/06/05 |
Year to date
01/01/05 - 30/06/05 |
|
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Public |
6070
|
8262
|
31
|
5669
|
16221
|
62
|
14179
|
|
Private |
2834
|
4158
|
-
|
12034
|
8510
|
-
|
28317
|
|
Total |
8904
|
12420
|
31
|
17703
|
24731
|
62
|
42496
|
|
Health
on the Net Code of Conduct for health-related sites