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VIRAL HEPATITIS

Hepatitis A

See enteric diseases.

Hepatitis B

Cases = 89

Crude Rate (per 100,000 population) = 1.6

Sex-specific rates (per 100,000 population)

     Male = 2.0
     Female = 1.2

Hepatitis B is a bloodborne pathogen transmitted by direct contact with virus containing blood or body fluids, sexual contact with an infected person, or from an infected mother to her infant during childbirth.

In 1997, for the second consecutive year, there was a sharp decrease in reported cases of acute hepatitis B. Figure 1 shows the case rates since 1991.

Figure 1.

 

Rates of acute hepatitis B infection varied with age. The highest rate in Indiana continues to be found in young adults, aged 25-34 (3.3/100,000 population). Table 1 shows the rates of acute hepatitis B by age group.

 

Table 1.
Hepatitis B Rates and Age Group
Indiana, 1997

Age Group

Number of Cases

Rate*

0-4

0

0

5-14

1

0.2

15-24

19

2.2

25-34

30

3.3

35-44

22

2.7

45-54

7

1.2

55-64

4

0.8

65-74

3

0.7

>74

0

0


                                     * Cases/100,000; n=86

 

Sixty-three (63%) percent of cases were White, 31 % were Black, and 6% were A sian. The percentage of nonwhite cases (37%) is greater than the percentage of nonwhite Indiana residents (10%). One person died of hepatitis B.

Risk factors for contracting hepatitis B were known for 76 cases (88 %) and are shown in Table 2. Two (2) health care workers were reported with acute hepatitis B; neither reported having a puncture wound with a contaminated object within 6 months prior to developing infection, but both reported other risk factors in addition to their medical employment.

 

Table 2.
Frequency of Patient-Recorded Risk Factors for Hepatitis B
Indiana, 1997

Risk Factor

Number of "Yes" responses*
Multiple sexual partners

23
Sexual contact of a case

6
Accidental stick with a contaminated object

5
Injectable drug use

4
History of surgery

3
Contact of a case, other than sexual

2
Medical employment

2
Homosexual/bisexual

1
Dialysis contact

1
Blood transfusion

1

                                     *Cases may have multiple risk factors

 

Incidence for counties reporting five (5) or more cases are noted in Table 3.

 

Table 3.
Incidence of Reported Cases of Hepatitis B
in Counties with 5 or more cases
Indiana, 1997

County

Number of Cases

Rate*
Elkhart

6

3.8
Marion

25

3.1
Vanderburgh

3

3.0
St. Joseph

7

2.8
Lake

10

2.7
Allen

7

2.3

                                     * Cases/100,000

 

Hepatitis C and Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis

Cases = 10

Crude rate (per 100,000 population) = 0.18

Hepatitis C is a form of bloodborne non-A, non-B hepatitis. In 1997, Indiana reported ten (10) persons, residing in 9 counties, who tested positive for the hepatitis C antibody and met the case definition for acute hepatitis C infection. An acute case of hepatitis C must meet the following criteria:1) discrete onset of illness, 2) jaundice or serum aminotransferase levels greater than 2.5 times the upper normal limit, 3) test negative for hepatitis A and hepatitis B, and 4) antibody to hepatitis (anti-HCV) verified by a supplemental test. Three (3) people were hospitalized, eight (8) reported jaundice. No deaths were reported. Five (5) cases were female, five (5) were male. Nine cases were White, one (1) was Black. Risk factors for acquiring hepatitis C identified by the cases are shown in Table 4.

 

Table 4.
Frequency of Patient-Reported Risk Factors
for Hepatitis C, Indiana 1997

Risk Factor

Number of
"Yes" Responses
Tattoo application

3
Injectable drugs

2
Multiple Sex Partners

1

* Multiple positive responses possible

 

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