An Australian Government Intiative
OzFoodNet logo

OzFoodNet Information

Reports and Projects

Additional Information

Print page  Decrease text size  Increase text size


prev page| TOC |next page

Table of contents

The Annual Cost of Foodborne Illness in Australia

A4. Hepatitis A

Table A4 Hepatitis A due to foodborne transmission(a) in Australia in one year. Estimated number of cases, deaths, health care visits, investigations, treatments and time lost

Age group
No. cases/ year(b)
No. deaths/ year(c)
No. hospital admissions/ year
Mean days in hospital/patient
No. visits to GPs/ year
No. visits to specialists/ year
No. visits to ED/ year
No. tests outside of hospital/ year
No. contacts of cases treated/ year
No. days lost paid work and activities/ year
Female
0-4 years
4
0
..
16
0.7
1
8
8
177
5-14 years
12
2
3
43
2.0
2
24
24
474
15-64 years
40
11
4
149
6.8
8
80
80
1,648
65 years or over
3
1
8
12
0.6
1
6
6
134
Total
59
13
4
220
10.1
11
118
118
2,434
Male
0-4 years
6
0
..
22
1.0
1
12
12
243
5-14 years
13
1
3
49
2.2
3
26
26
541
15-64 years
66
8
3
244
11.2
13
132
132
2,699
65 years or over
3
1
17
9
0.4
0
6
6
103
Total
87
11
4
0
0.0
0
174
174
0

Total(d) rounded
(CrI)(e)
150
(0-1,000)
1
24
4
540
25
28
290
290
6,020
Source of data
NNDSS
Case fatality 0.005 (McLaughlin et al.
2004) + mortality data 1999-2002.
NHMD 1998-99 to 2001-02.
NHMD 1998-99 to 2001-02.
Mean visits/ case = 3.7 (McLaughlin et al. 2004).
Mean visits/ case = 0.17 (McLaughlin et al. 2004).
Mean visits/ case =  0.19 (McLaugh- lin et al. 2004).
Assume serology and tests done twice per case. See details in Table A4.1.
Assume 2 contacts/ case immunised as per recommended. (DHS 1997).
Mean duration 41 days (McLaughlin et al. 2004).

(a) The proportion of cases due to foodborne transmission was estimated at 10% (95% CrI: 0-24%).
(b) Under-reporting factor estimated as 2, that is, double the number of cases reported to NNDSS before taking foodborne proportion.
(c) Where hepatitis A was the principal reason for hospital admission.
(d) Totals may not add due to rounding.
(e) The numbers in brackets indicate the credible interval based on the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles of the plausible range. Interpretation is akin to 95% CI (see text).



Details of tests and treatment for hepatitis A outside hospital

Appropriate tests include:
  • hepatitis A virus antibodies
  • urinalysis
  • liver function tests (LFTs-AST, ALT, ALP, bilirubin)
  • full blood count (FBC) (RCPA 2004b).
Assumed each case has each test twice.

Table A4.1 Number of tests and treatments(a) per year for hepatitis A due to foodborne transmission

Age group
Hepatitis A antibodies
Urinalysis
LFTs
FBC
IgG treatment for contacts(b)
Female
0-4 years
9
9
9
9
9
5-14 years
23
23
23
23
23
15-64 years
80
80
80
80
80
65 years or over
7
7
7
7
7
Total
119
119
119
119
119
Male
0-4 years
12
12
12
12
12
5-14 years
26
26
26
26
26
15-64 years
132
132
132
132
132
65 years or over
5
5
5
5
5
Total
175
175
175
175
175
Total
294
294
294
294
294

(a) Cases have more than one test.
(b) IgG for household and sexual contacts of the cases. Dose varies from 0.5 ml (child) to 2–5 ml (adult) (DHS 1997). Assume average of two contacts per case (based on average household size in Australia of 2.7).



prev page| TOC |next page

Page currency, Latest update: 27 October, 2006