Hepatitis C epidemiology and demographics: Difference between revisions
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Both male and female patients are equally | Both male and female patients are equally affected by hepatitis C.<ref name=WHO>{{cite web WHO Hepatitis|url=http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsrlyo2003/en/index4.html |title=Hepatitis C |website= World Health Organization |publisher= WHO |accessdate=July 27 2014}}</ref> | ||
===Morbidity and Mortality=== | ===Morbidity and Mortality=== | ||
Revision as of 20:55, 29 July 2014
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Hepatitis C |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Hepatitis C epidemiology and demographics On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Hepatitis C epidemiology and demographics |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Hepatitis C epidemiology and demographics |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Yazan Daaboul; Serge Korjian
Overview
Hepatitis C is a major health problem affecting approximately 2 to 4 million people in the United States, 5 to 10 million people in Europe, and 12 million people in India. Approximtely 150 000 new cases occur annually in the US and in Western Europe although accurate incidence rates are difficult to estimate given the asymptomatic course early in the disease. While the disease appears to be declining, hepatitis C is still highly prevalent in specific areas of the world. Egypt is the country with the highest prevalence of HCV, HCV-associated cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and the prevalence tends to increase with age, suggesting ongoing new cases of HCV. Approximately one-fourth of all cases of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are attributed to HCV worldwide. Hepatitis C affects males and females equally.
Epidemiology and Demographics
Incidence and Prevalence
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 3% of the global population are infected with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Figures in individual countries vary greatly: Approximately 2-4 million persons are infected with chronic HCV in USA, 5-10 million in Europe, and more than 10 million in India.[1]
Acute HCV infection follows an asymptomatic course, which makes the accurate determination of HCV incidence difficult. Additionally, many countries lack sufficient epidemiological data.Nonetheless, it is presumed that approximately 150,000 new cases are reported in USA and Western Europe annually, whereas the incidence in Japan is as high as 350,000 new cases each year. More than 60-80% of patients with HCV infection continue to become chronic carriers of the disease, with an overall number of chronic carriers reaching approximately 170 million patients. The trend today is marked by progressive decrease in new HCV infections, demonstrating a remarkable 80% decrease since the infection was first discovered in 1989-1990.[1]
Prevalence of HCV rises significantly in specific populations[1]:
- Intravenous drug users: > 70% (Most cases of HCV infection nowadays)
- Hemophilia patients: > 70%
- Hemodialysis: 20-30%
Of note, nosocomial sources of HCV infection, such as infected blood and surgical products, have significantly been reduced due to testing of products prior to utilization.[1]
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Age
The age of infected patients varies across regions. In USA, Australia, and Western Europe, more than 65% of HCV infections are observed in patients between 30-50 years.[2] These numbers suggest that most cases of HCV in these regions occurred before 1990. On the other hand, there is an increase of HCV prevalence with age in countries such as Turkey, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, and Egypt. Most patients in these countries are older than 50 years of age.[2]
Gender
Both male and female patients are equally affected by hepatitis C.[1]
Morbidity and Mortality
Approximately 27% of cases of cirrhosis and 25% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are attributed to chronic HCV infection.[2]
Geographic Distribution
HCV is a global disease. The most endemic region of HCV - especially genotype 4a - is Egypt, due to previous non-hygenic medical and paramedical practices in the country.[2] As many as 25% of Egyptian blood donors are chronic carriers of HCV infection. On the other hand, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia have a low prevalence of HCV compared to other regions.[2]
In other countries, HCV is prevalent in specific regions rather than the entire counrty. Such patterns are seen in Italy, China, and Japan.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 World Health Organization. Global Alert Response. Hepatitis C: Surveilance and control. Accessed online on July 27, 2014. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsrlyo2003/en/index4.html
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Alter MJ (2007). "Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection". World J Gastroenterol. 13 (17): 2436–41. PMID 17552026.