Hepatitis C: key points

The hepatitis C virus was first identified in 1989 and an antibody test to detect its presence became available in 1991.
In resource rich countries hepatitis C is usually transmitted among injecting drug users who share injecting equipment.
In resource poor countries hepatitis C is usually transmitted through the receipt of infected blood / blood products.
Those affected by hepatitis C often have no symptoms, but in the long-term the infection may progress to liver cirrhosis.
Around 50,000 people living in Scotland have ever been infected with hepatitis C; less than 50% of whom have been diagnosed.
No vaccine is available, but treatment clears the virus in 50-60% of cases.

	Males	Females	All
Number of cases diagnosed in 2010	1,448	662	2,129 (1)
Prevalence (%) in 2010 (ages 15-59)			0.7% (2)
Total number of cases diagnosed by end 2010	19,276	9,283	29,312 (3)
Number of deaths in 2010	n/a	n/a	n/a
% people surviving 5 years after diagnosis	n/a	n/a	n/a
Lifetime risk of developing hepatitis C (all ages)	n/a	n/a	n/a
Lifetime risk of developing hepatitis C (from age 50)	n/a	n/a	n/a

Notes:
(1) Includes 19 cases where gender was not known.

(2) Assumes that 14% of diagnosed cases had died by the end of 2010.

(3) Includes 303 cases where gender was not known; does not include estimated undiagnosed numbers.

McLeod A, Hutchinson S, Goldberg D. Surveillance of known hepatitis C antibody positive cases in Scotland: Results to 31 December 2010. HPS Weekly Report; 45(2011/18): 175-178. (547KB)