[Hepatitis B in Poland in 2009]

A total of 1,475 of hepatitis B cases, including 40 cases of co-infection with HCV, were reported in Poland in 2009, the incidence rate was 3.87 per 100,000 population. In total number of registered hepatitis B cases 13.5% were acute ones (incidence 0.52 per 100,000). Since the beginning in 2005 of separate registration acute and chronic cases in the surveillance system revealed a downward trend in incidence of acute cases, chronic remained relatively stable. In 2009, the first time in several years was seen a significant increase in chronic hepatitis B. The incidence of acute and chronic hepatitis B in the consecutive years is more diverse geographically. Acute hepatitis B incidence varied from 0.17 in dolnoslaskie to 1.18 in podlaskie, the incidence of chronic hepatitis B was the highest in lodzkie (7.46) and lowest in malopolskie (0.09). The highest reported incidence of chronic hepatitis B was observed in age group 15-19 years, whereas among the acute hepatitis B a clear peak was not observed: acute hepatitis B occurred more frequently in the age groups 25-29, 35-39, and at 75 and over. Acute hepatitis B was observed twice frequent in males than females, 0.7 and 0.35 respectively (in the 20-24 age group was the males predominance 10-fold and over), and more frequent in the urban than in the rural areas, incidence 0.61 and 0.38 respectively. Chronic hepatitis B was also more frequent among men and urban dwellers, but the advantage was not as pronounced as in the acute cases. In 2009 99% of acute and 64.5% of chronic hepatitis B cases were hospitalized. 57 people died because of hepatitis B including 15 people of acute hepatitis B.