[The impact of the case of definition in public health surveillance. Assessment of the number of hepatitis C cases].
OBJECTIVE
Hepatitis C cases in Poland are notified based on symptoms of hepatic disease and anti-HCV and/or PCR for HCV RNA test results. The purpose of this study was to make an effort to define hepatitis C for public health surveillance and assessment of the number of acute hepatitis C cases reported from Warsaw Voivodeship during 1998.


METHODS
The 1998 hepatitis C infection case reports were analyzed. Additional data were collected through medical charts and laboratory reports review. The definition for an acute case of hepatitis C included: positive anti-HCV or PCR for HCV RNA, symptoms of acute hepatic disease, negative IgM anti-HAV, and negative IgM anti-HBc or HBsAg.


RESULTS
Of the 268 (99.3% of 270) available case reports, 15 (5.6%) were identified as acute cases of hepatitis C.


CONCLUSIONS
Currently used hepatitis C case criteria do not allowed for a proper assessment of the burden of disease. It is necessary to create explicit definition of acute and chronic hepatitis C cases for public health surveillance.
Mazurek
J
J
jmazurek@pzh.gov.pl
D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D015994:Incidence; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health
D007074:Immunoglobulin G