|
Hepatitis C Medical Notification 01/01/07 - 31/03/07
In the first quarter of 2007,
176 medical notifications of hepatitis C infection were received (111
males, 63%; 65 females, 37%). Included in the notifications were 146
individuals newly diagnosed with hepatitis C infection (Table
2.1).
Medical
notification reported 76 cases as having no previous hepatitis C test
while 11 individuals had earlier, positive tests (before 1995). Twenty-eight notifications reported previous negative tests; in 11 cases
within the last 12 months, and in 17 cases more than 12 months earlier.
Included in the latter, were 5 cases with a negative test less than
2 years before the positive test at diagnosis.
In a further 29 cases
the testing history was unknown.
Among the
notifications, past or present injecting drug use was reported as a
transmission route for hepatitis C virus in 103 (71%) cases, among these 9
also recorded tattoos (Table 2.1).
At
diagnosis, most cases were aged between 20 and 49 years; 73 (80%) males
and 48 (87 %) females, and few were aged less than 20 years (3, 2%) (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.
Twelve
incident cases were identified in the quarter.
Eleven had negative serology in the previous 12 months, while one
cases was diagnosed on presentation with acute clinical hepatitis.
The
incident cases comprised seven males and five females. The probable mode
of transmission for hepatitis C virus was injecting drug use in all cases (Table
2.3).
The
age range at diagnosis for incident cases was 18 to 47 years, with a mean
of 31 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, 01/01/07 - 31/03/07.
Exposure category by sex.
|
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Exposure category |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
|
IDU1 |
67
|
73
|
31
|
57
|
98
|
67
|
|
IDU/Tattoos |
4
|
5
|
1
|
2
|
5
|
3
|
|
Blood transfusion/blood
products1 |
2
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
|
Tattoos |
6
|
7
|
3
|
6
|
9
|
6
|
|
High prevalence country32 |
5
|
5
|
4
|
7
|
9
|
6
|
|
Other3 |
3
|
3
|
8
|
15
|
11
|
8
|
|
Unknown/not
identified |
5
|
5
|
6
|
11
|
11
|
8
|
|
Total |
92
|
|
54
|
|
146
|
|
1
Blood transfusion before 1990
2
Residence /medical treatment in an overseas high prevalence country
3
“Other” includes – household (1), occupational
(2)) & sex partner positive (7)
Table 2.2
Hepatitis C
infection, 01/01/07 - 31/03/07.
Age group by sex.
|
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Age group (years)
|
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
No. |
% |
|
10 - 19 |
2
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
|
20 - 29 |
17
|
19
|
17
|
31
|
34
|
23
|
|
30 - 39 |
32
|
35
|
16
|
30
|
48
|
33
|
|
40 - 49 |
24
|
26
|
14
|
26
|
38
|
26
|
|
³
50 |
17
|
18
|
6
|
11
|
23
|
16
|
|
Total |
92
|
|
54
|
|
146
|
|
Table 2.3
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases1)
01/01/07 - 31/03/07. Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
IDU |
7
|
5
|
12
|
|
IDU/tattoos |
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total |
7
|
5
|
12
|
1
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.4
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases*),
01/01/07 - 31/03/07. Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years) |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
15 - 19
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
|
20 - 24
|
2
|
-
|
2
|
|
25 - 29
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
30 - 34
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
35 - 39
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
>=40
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Total
|
7
|
5
|
12
|
*
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text
Table 2.5
Summary of
hepatitis C antibody tests, 01/01/07 - 31/03/07.
Laboratory by sex.
|
Laboratory |
Male |
Female |
Unknown |
Total |
|
Private |
2860
|
4705
|
36
|
7601
|
|
Public |
5868
|
8947
|
0
|
14815
|
|
Total |
8728
|
13652
|
36
|
22416
|
|
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