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Cause:
Hepatitis C virus, which has 6 genotypes.
Illness and treatment:
Most acute infections are asymptomatic but about 20%
of cases have abrupt onset with fever, abdominal pain, and
jaundice. Chronic infection is typically asymptomatic
until complications such as liver damage or cancer develop.
Sources:
Transmission is usually by contact with blood, particularly while
sharing drug paraphernalia, or less commonly semen or
vaginal secretions of an infected person.
Additional risks:
Chronic infection follows acute infection in 75-85% of cases
and is more likely for males,
those infected after 25 years of age, or the
immunosuppressed including HIV co-infection.
Prevention:
Use safe sexual practices, avoid sharing drug paraphernalia,
and screen blood and tissue products to prevent
transmission.
Recent Washington trends:
Each year fewer than 30 acute
cases and around 5,300 chronic cases are reported.
Current chronic hepatitis reports are posted at:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/IDRH-Assessment/HepC.htm
2008:
25 acute cases (0.4
cases/100,000 population) were reported.
Purpose of Reporting and
Surveillance
-
To
identify sources of infection and to prevent further
transmission from such sources
- To educate cases and contacts about transmission of
hepatitis C virus and how to reduce the risk of transmission
- To better understand the epidemiology of hepatitis C
virus infection and the burden of morbidity from chronic
infection
Legal Reporting Requirements
-
Health care providers:
notifiable to local health jurisdiction within one month
-
Hospitals: notifiable to local
health jurisdiction within one month
-
Laboratories: detection of
viral antigen, antibody or nucleic acid notifiable on a
monthly basis
-
Local health jurisdictions:
acute cases notifiable to the Washington State
Department of Health (DOH) Communicable Disease
Epidemiology Section (CDES) within 7 days of case
investigation completion or summary information required
within 21 days, chronic cases (initial diagnosis only)
notifiable to DOH Infectious Disease and Reproductive
Health (IDRH) within 7 days of case investigation
completion or summary information required within 21
days
Last
update
November 2009 |
