Acute hepatitis a in West Scotland in 1981. A change in pattern

In 1981, 151 cases of laboratory confirmed Hepatitis A infection were diagnosed in West Scotland, an increase of more than three-fold over both 1979 and 1980. The majority (54%) were in children under 15 years of age, case numbers then declining with age, apart from a rise in numbers in the 21-30 age group. Almost all children infected were Scottish children. Significant numbers were associated with contact with a known case (25%) or travel abroad (16%). Few cases were diagnosed in the first five months of the year. This upsurge in laboratory-diagnosed cases was associated with an increase in notifications of viral hepatitis to the Registrar General for Scotland for the first time in 10 years.