|
Medical
notifications 2005
During 2005, medical notifications of hepatitis C
infection were received for 751 cases (487 males; 264 females).
Among the notifications were 49 incident cases, 13 fewer than in
2004. However, the proportion
of cases reporting a negative test at any time in the past was similar to
that of the past three years (22%).
Hepatitis
C Medical Notification 01/10/05 - 31/12/05
In
the fourth quarter of 2005, medical notifications of hepatitis C infection
were received for 176 individuals, 116 (66%) males and 60 (34%) females.
Among
the notifications, 14 cases reported an earlier positive test (pre-1995),
whilst 64 individuals had never been tested before for hepatitis C
infection. In 55 cases the
testing history was unknown. Of 44 individuals with a previous negative test, 29 were
tested more than 24 months earlier, six between 12 and 24 months earlier
and eight were tested within the last year.
Of
162 new diagnoses of HCV infection, past or present injecting drug use (IDU)
was reported as a likely transmission route in 86 (52%) instances; 19
cases reported IDU plus tattoos as a second potential exposure (Table
2.1).
At diagnosis, the majority of males (65%) were
aged 30 to 49 years, while many females (59%) were in the 20 to 39 year
age-range. Of three male
cases aged less than twenty years at diagnosis, two had a history of
injecting drug use (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 and two cases were tested because of
acute clinical hepatitis. The
incident cases comprised five males and five females.
In all cases the likely mode of transmission for hepatitis C virus
was injecting drug use
(Table
2.3).
The ages of female incident cases ranged from 25
to 36 years, while males were aged 19 to 39 years at diagnosis
(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, new diagnoses 01/10/05 - 31/12/05 and year.
Exposure category
by sex.
|
Exposure
category
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/05 - 31/12/05
|
Year
01/01/05 - 31/12/05
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
IDU1
|
58
|
28
|
250
|
116
|
366
|
|
IDU/tattoos
|
14
|
5
|
47
|
24
|
71
|
|
Blood /tissue products
|
5
|
2
|
15
|
18
|
33
|
|
Tattoos
|
9
|
2
|
36
|
9
|
45
|
|
Other2
|
1
|
3
|
12
|
14
|
26
|
|
High prevalence country3
|
8
|
6
|
32
|
27
|
59
|
|
Unknown/not identified
|
11
|
10
|
32
|
25
|
57
|
|
Total
|
105
|
56
|
424
|
233
|
657
|
1
Includes
IDU in combination with categories other than tattoos (2%).
2
Includes occupational, household, perinatal & sexual exposure;
body piercing/ acupuncture & assault.
3
Residence/medical treatment in a high prevalence overseas country.
Table 2.2
Hepatitis C
infection, new diagnoses 01/10/05 - 31/12/05 and year.
Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years)
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/05 - 31/12/05
|
Year
to date
01/01/05 - 31/12/05
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
< 20
|
3
|
-
|
17
|
3
|
20
|
|
20 - 29
|
26
|
15
|
112
|
63
|
175
|
|
30 - 39
|
35
|
18
|
130
|
76
|
206
|
|
40 - 49
|
34
|
14
|
122
|
56
|
178
|
|
³
50
|
8
|
9
|
43
|
35
|
78
|
|
Total
|
106
|
56
|
424
|
233
|
657
|
Table 2.3
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases1)
,
01/10/05 - 31/12/05 and year. Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/05 - 31/12/05
|
Year
to date
01/01/05 - 31/12/05
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
IDU2
|
5
|
5
|
27
|
15
|
42
|
|
IDU/tattoos
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Other3
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Unknown/not
identified
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
4
|
4
|
|
Total
|
5
|
5
|
28
|
21
|
49
|
1
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text.
2
Incudes IDU & body piercing in two cases.
3
One case snorting drugs & body piercing; another born in a high
prevalence country, likely to be prevalent
case.
Table 2.4
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases*),
01/10/05 - 31/12/05 and year. Age group by sex.
|
Age
group
(years)
|
4th Quarter
01/10/05 - 31/12/05
|
Year
01/01/05 - 31/12/05
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
10 - 19
|
1
|
-
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
20 - 29
|
2
|
3
|
16
|
9
|
25
|
|
30 - 39
|
2
|
2
|
9
|
10
|
19
|
|
40 - 49
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
Total
|
5
|
5
|
28
|
21
|
49
|
* Incident
cases are newly acquired infections, see text.
Table 2.5 Summary of
laboratory tests for hepatitis C antibodies
01/10/05 - 31/12/05 and year. Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory
|
4th Quarter
01/10/05 - 31/12/05
|
Year
01/01/05 - 31/12/05
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Unknown
|
Male
|
Female
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
|
Public
|
2847
|
7728
|
7
|
23310
|
31690
|
107
|
55107
|
|
Private
|
5606
|
4129
|
-
|
11399
|
16783
|
-
|
28182
|
|
Total
|
8453
|
11857
|
7
|
34709
|
48473
|
107
|
83289
|
|
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