|
Medical
notifications 2007
In
2007 Hepatitis C infection was diagnosed in 598 individuals, 385 males and
213 females. Of the 598
individuals, 41 (21 males; 20 females) reported a negative test within the
preceding 12 months, 16 (10 males; 6 females) cases reported a negative
test between 12 and 24 months and 337 (219 males; 118 females) had never
been tested. Testing history
was unknown in 149 cases (Table
2.1).
Hepatitis
C Medical Notification 01/10/07- 31/12/07
In
the fourth quarter of 2007, medical notifications of hepatitis C infection
were received for 142 individuals, 96 (68%) males and 46 (32%) females. Of
the 142 individuals, seven (4 males; 3 females) reported a negative test
within the preceding 12 months, four (1 male; 3 females) cases reported a
negative test between 12 and 24 months and 78 (52 males; 26 females) had
never been tested. Testing
history was unknown in 40 cases (Table
2.1).
Of
the 142 new diagnoses of HCV infection, past or present injecting drug use
(IDU) was reported as the sole transmission route in 74 (52%) instances;
18 (13%) cases reported IDU plus tattoos as a second potential exposure (Table 2.2).
Age
at diagnosis for both males (79%) and females (74%) was evenly distributed
between 20 – 49 year age groups (Table
2.3).
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.
Seven
incident cases (4 male and 3 female) were identified during the fourth
quarter of 2007; all seven cases had negative serology in the preceding 12
months (Table
2.3).
Five
of the seven individuals were under 30 years of age and the likely mode of
transmission was injecting drug use in six cases (Table
2.4, 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, new diagnoses 01/10/07- 31/12/07 and year to date.
Testing history by sex.
| Testing
history |
4th
Quarter |
Year |
| 01/10/0-31/12/07 |
01/01/07-31/12/07 |
| Male |
Female |
Male |
Female |
Total |
| Negative less than 12
months |
4 |
3 |
21 |
20 |
41 |
| Acute clinical infection |
- |
- |
3 |
3 |
6 |
| Negative between 12&24
months |
1 |
3 |
10 |
6 |
16 |
| Negative greater than 24
months |
9 |
4 |
29 |
20 |
49 |
| Never tested |
52 |
26 |
129 |
118 |
337 |
| Not stated |
30 |
10 |
103 |
46 |
149 |
| Total |
96 |
46 |
385 |
213 |
598 |
Table
2.2 Hepatitis C
infection, new diagnoses 01/10/07- 31/12/07 and year.
Exposure category
by sex.
|
Exposure
category
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/07- 31/12/07
|
Year
01/01/07- 31/12/07
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
IDU1
|
51
|
23
|
227
|
105
|
332
|
|
IDU/tattoos
|
14
|
4
|
52
|
20
|
72
|
|
Blood /tissue products2
|
10
|
6
|
31
|
29
|
60
|
|
Tattoos
|
4
|
0
|
24
|
8
|
32
|
|
Other3
|
5
|
3
|
15
|
14
|
29
|
|
High prevalence country4
|
3
|
2
|
10
|
14
|
24
|
|
Unknown/not identified
|
9
|
8
|
26
|
23
|
49
|
|
Total
|
96
|
46
|
385
|
213
|
598
|
1
Includes
IDU in combination with categories other than tattoos (2%).
2
Includes
occupational (<0.5%), household & sexual exposure (<0.5%); body
piercing/acupuncture (2%).
Table
2.3
Hepatitis C
infection, new diagnoses 01/10/07- 31/12/07 and year.
Age group by sex.
|
Age group (years)
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/07- 31/12/07
|
Year
to date
01/01/07- 31/12/07
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
<10
|
-
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
|
10 - 20
|
2
|
4
|
7
|
10
|
17
|
|
20 - 29
|
22
|
14
|
69
|
58
|
127
|
|
30 - 39
|
26
|
10
|
122
|
53
|
175
|
|
40 - 49
|
28
|
10
|
115
|
52
|
167
|
|
³
50
|
18
|
7
|
59
|
39
|
108
|
|
Total
|
96
|
46
|
385
|
213
|
598
|
Table
2.4
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases1)
,
01/10/07- 31/12/07 and year. Exposure category by sex.
|
Exposure category
|
4th
Quarter
01/10/07-31/12/07
|
Year
to date
01/01/07- 31/12/07
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
IDU
|
4
|
2
|
22
|
21
|
43
|
|
IDU/tattoos
|
-
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
|
Sexual
ptner pos
|
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
blood
products o/seas
|
-
|
1
|
-
|
1
|
1
|
|
Total
|
4
|
3
|
24
|
23
|
47
|
1
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text.
2 One case sexual partner +ve, peri natal,
one tattoo & two born in a high prevalence country,
Table
2.5
Newly acquired hepatitis C infection (Incident cases*),
01/10/07- 31/12/07 and year. Age group by sex.
|
Age
group
(years)
|
4th Quarter
01/10/07- 31/12/07
|
Year
01/01/07- 31/12/07
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
|
|
-
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
8
|
|
20 –
24
|
2
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
16
|
|
25 –
29
|
-
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
18
|
|
30 –
34
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
5
|
4
|
|
35 - 39
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
4
|
1
|
|
>40
|
-
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
|
Total
|
4
|
3
|
24
|
23
|
47
|
1
Incident cases are newly acquired infections, see text.
Table
2.6 Summary of
laboratory tests for hepatitis C antibodies
01/10/07- 31/12/07 and year. Laboratory by sex.`
|
Laboratory
|
4th Quarter
01/10/07- 31/12/07
|
Year
01/01/07- 31/12/07
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Unknown
|
Male
|
Female
|
Unknown
|
Total
|
|
Public
|
5684
|
7866
|
27
|
23345
|
32965
|
110
|
56420
|
|
Private
|
2804
|
4377
|
-
|
11106
|
18000
|
4
|
29110
|
|
Total
|
8488
|
12243
|
27
|
34451
|
50965
|
114
|
85530
|
|
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