[Hepatitis B in Poland in 2000]

A total of 2,825 (7.3 per 100,000 population) cases of hepatitis B (including 130 co-infections with both HBV and HCV) were reported in 2000 in Poland. Comparing to 1999 the total number of cases decreased by 683 and incidence by 1.8. This decline resulted mainly from vaccination of children and high risk patients though the improvement of sterilization procedures could be also of significance, especially in persons below 60 years of age. The number of hospitalizations in 2000 increased by 15%. Regional differences in both incidence and percentage of hospitalizations were observed. The incidence of hepatitis B per 100,000 was higher in urban (8.3) than in rural (7.4) population. The lowest incidence (0.6) was observed in children aged 0-4 years; in older children (5-9 years of age) the incidence rates were 8.6 in boys and 3.4 in girls. The highest incidence, ranging from 4.5 to 9.1 was found in the age group 14-24 years, especially in boys and young men living in urban areas.