Occurrence and spatial distribution of hepatitis C in a Western Brazilian Amazon State

Abstract

Context - Hepatitis C causes a major impact on public health due to the high prevalence in the population. Objectives - Evaluate the epidemiological data of hepatitis C in the State of Rondônia, Brazil. Methods - Data from hepatitis C were analyzed during the period 2002 to 2012, assigned by the Agency for Sanitary Vigilance of the State of Rondônia. The variables studied were: year of diagnosis, gender, age, associated disease, exposure to risk factors and clinical presentation. Results - Eight hundred fifty-nine cases were reported during the study period. Of this total, 542 (63.1%) cases were male. In relation to age group, the one with the highest number of cases was between 40-59 years (54%), followed by 20-39 years (33.5%). In relation to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) association, 1.8% of patients had HIV and 2.1% other type of sexually transmitted disease. About exposure to risk factors, 288 (28.1%) individuals were exposed to a surgical procedure. Was also analyzed the clinical form of the disease, 9.9% are in acute disease and 91.1% in the chronic phase. Conclusions - In the State of Rondônia, hepatitis C had a mean annual incidence of 5.1 cases/100,000 inhabitants, similar to the national rate.