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Surveillance of HCV infection in the Netherlands
S Chaves1, M A Widdowson, A Bosman
1Department of infectious disease epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, RIVM, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Two surveillance systems exist in the Netherlands to monitor hepatitis C (HCV) infections. Aggregated weekly laboratory data have been available since 1990. In 1999, HCV infection became a notifiable disease. Data showed the number of reported cases has remained stable. Male cases predominated (66%), mainly between age 15 to 54. Injecting drug use was the main route of transmission (64%). Despite its added value, the notifiable system should include more clinical data to better scrutinize future changes in transmission patterns.