[Hepatitis C in Poland in 2010]

Hepatitis C is registered as a separate entity in the national infectious diseases system in Poland beginning from 1997. All physicians who diagnose the disease are mandated to report it and, additionally, in the years 2006 - 2008, mandatory reporting of positive results of HCV test by laboratories was also implemented. The initial definition adopted at the European Union level was implemented in Poland in 2005 (2005 definition) and it included cases with symptoms or elevated liver function tests, which coincided with the earlier practice. The amended European definition was implemented in 2009 (2009 definition) to require registration of all laboratory confirmed cases. AIM. To assess epidemiological situation of hepatitis C in Poland in 2010 in comparison to the preceding years.

We performed descriptive analysis of data collected through routine mandatory surveillance system. Case classification according to 2005 definition and 2009 definition was verified based on individual case reports.

In 2010 in Poland 2021 hepatitis C cases meeting 2005 definition were registered (incidence 5.29 per 100,000), including 38 with mixed HBV-HCV infection. As compared to 2009 (1939 cases, incidence 5.08) the incidence increased by 4%. In consequence the decreasing trend observed since 2006 slowed down. Overall 2212 reported cases (5.79 per 100,000) met the 2009 definition. This number was higher than in 2009, but still several times lower than the number of newly diagnosed HCV cases registered in 2006 - 2008. In total 167 persons died due to hepatitis C (mortality 0.44 per 100,000), including 8 due to acute hepatitis C. This constitutes the highest hepatitis C mortality observed since 1996.

Low number of registered cases meeting the 2009 definition indicates the necessity to improve the completeness of reporting, in ex. through restoring laboratory reporting. It also justifies maintaining the classification according to 2005 definition in order to monitor trends of the disease, even though the number of cases meeting this definition underestimates the real problem. The increase in mortality suggests that further improvements in diagnosis and access to treatment are necessary.