|
Hepatitis B Medical Notification 01/01/07 - 31/03/07
During the
first quarter of 2007, 81 hepatitis B medical notifications were received.
Of these, one was an acute clinical case of hepatitis B infection
and one had been newly acquired within the previous 12 months (Table 3.1).
A further 21 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 58 cases (Table 3.1).
The exposure
category for the acute clinical female case was sexual contact with a male
who was hepatitis B positive. The risk factor for the other newly acquired
male case was injecting drug use. The age groups for all cases of
hepatitis B infection is shown in (Table
3.2).
Of
the 58 reports of antigen positivity of uncertain duration, 35 tested
surface antigen positive for the first time this quarter and the testing
history was unknown for the remaining 23 cases.
Among
the 34 individuals who tested surface antigen positive for the first time,
but were not newly acquired cases, the racial origin of 15 (43%) was
reported as Asian and five (14%) were of African origin (Table 3.3).
The number of hepatitis B surface antigen tests
performed by laboratories for this quarter is shown in Table
3.4.
Table 3.1
Hepatitis B
infection, 01/01/07 - 31/03/07.
Case category by sex.
|
Case category |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Acute Infection |
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Infection < 12 months
duration |
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
Antigen positivity - uncertain
duration |
31
|
27
|
58
|
|
Chronic carriers - >12 months duration |
14
|
7
|
21
|
|
Total |
46
|
34
|
81
|
Table
3.2 Acute Hepatitis B infection 01/01/07 - 31/03/07.
Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years) |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
10 - 19
|
5
|
2
|
7
|
|
20 - 29
|
10
|
9
|
19
|
|
30 - 39
|
12
|
11
|
23
|
|
40 - 49
|
12
|
7
|
19
|
|
>50
|
7
|
6
|
13
|
|
Total
|
46
|
34
|
81
|
Table
3.3 Individuals who tested hepatitis B surface antigen
positive for the first time, 01/01/07 - 31/03/07.
Race by sex.
|
Racial origin |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Aboriginal
|
2
|
2
|
4
|
|
Asian
|
5
|
10
|
15
|
|
Caucasian
|
6
|
3
|
9
|
|
African
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
|
Other
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
Total |
18
|
17
|
35
|
Table
3.4
Summary of
hepatitis B surface antigen tests,
01/01/07 - 31/03/07. Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Private |
3039
|
5038
|
-
|
8077
|
|
Public |
5509
|
9013
|
22
|
14544
|
|
Total |
8548
|
14051
|
22
|
22621
|
|
Health
on the Net Code of Conduct for health-related sites