• Hepatitis C in England 2007

• Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 2006

Hepatitis C in England 2007

The Health Protection Agency has released its annual report on Hepatitis C in England [1]. This year's report provides an update on progress towards the Hepatitis C Action Plan [2]. The number of newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis C infection in England reached 8,346 in 2006, 10% higher than in 2005, suggesting that diagnosis is increasing. Between 2002 and 2006 there has been an almost ten-fold increase in the number of hepatitis C tests carried out in specialist drug services. In addition, testing at GP surgeries has continued to remain high.

The report highlights that the most important risk factor for acquisition of hepatitis C is injecting drug use. The prevalence of hepatitis C amongst individuals who started injecting drugs within the last 3 years remains high at 22 per cent.

In 2006/07 media coverage on hepatitis C increased by more than 60 per cent compared to last year. There was an increase in the number of visits to the NHS website and Hepatitis C Information Line. Advertising campaigns included radios, newspapers and consumer magazines. Charities such as The British Liver Trust, The Hepatitis C Trust, The Children's Liver Disease Foundation as well as the late Dame Anita Roddick have also raised the profile and awareness of hepatitis C.

The numbers of deaths, transplants and hospital admissions for hepatitis C-related end stage liver disease in England continue to rise, and a statistical model developed in collaboration with the MRC, predicts that the number of people with severe liver disease will increase to 2,670 by 2015. The report warns that, with the continued increase in the burden of HCV-related disease, there is no room for complacency and that data on referral uptake and outcome of treatment are urgently required to assist in the effective planning of local hepatitis C services.

Current prevention strategies necessarily centre around injecting drug users (IDUs) and in areas, like prisons, where IDU is concentrated. These strategies focus on reducing initiation of injecting drug use, helping IDUs to stop injecting, and on harm minimisation in those who continue to inject. Health promotion resources have been developed to target and inform IDUs on prevention, transmission, management and treatment of hepatitis C.

Full copies of the report are available from the HPA's Centre for Infections,email: hepatitisC@hpa.org.uk.

Electronic copies of the annual report as well as a slide set of all the tables and figures used in the report can be downloaded from <http://www.hpa.org.uk/publications/PublicationDisplay.asp?PublicationID=116>.

References
1. HPA. Hepatitis C in England. The Health Protection Annual Report 2007. London: HPA, 2007. Available at <http://www.hpa.org.uk/publications/PublicationDisplay.asp?PublicationID=116>

2. Department of Health. Hepatitis C Action Plan for England. London: Department of Health, 2004. Available at <http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/
digitalasset/ dh_4084713.pdf>

 

Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, 2006

The Health Protection Agency has published its fourth report providing a detailed overview of antimicrobial resistance in a range of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa) of public health importance [1]. The majority of the data presented relate to England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, although some data from other European countries are included reflecting the participation of the HPA in the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Scheme (EARSS). Although this report focuses on data collected during 2006, where possible, trend data over a longer period of time are also presented in order to put the most recent data into context.

References
1. HPA. Antimicrobial resistance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2006. London: Health Protection Agency, 2007. Available at <http://www.hpa.org.uk/publications/PublicationDisplay.asp?PublicationID=115>.