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 been infected with hepatitis C, only 30-40% of whom have been diagnosed.
• No vaccine is available, but treatment clears the virus in 50-60% of cases.
  

Key statistics:

	Males	Females	All
Number of cases diagnosed in 2005	1,031	565	1,616 (1)
Prevalence (%) in 2005	0.49%	0.21%	0.35% (2)
Total number of cases diagnosed by end 2005	13,590	6,410	20,219 (3)
Number of deaths in 2005	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 20 cases where gender was not known.

(2) Assumes that 12% of diagnosed cases had died by the end of 2005.

(3) Includes 219 cases where gender was not known.

Source: McLeod A, Codere G, Hutchinson S, Shaw L, Goldberg D. Surveillance of known hepatitis C antibody positive cases in Scotland: Results to 30 June 2006. HPS Weekly Report 2006;40 (2006/38):202-206.(268Kb)