4. Number of reported cases of hepatitis C among injecting drug users

The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) and principal hepatitis C testing laboratories throughout Scotland have established a database of persons diagnosed hepatitis C antibody positive.

Indicator

As at 31 December 1997, there were 6,367 known cases of hepatitis C antibody positive in Scotland, of which 3,076 cases (48%) were known to have injected drugs. For 2,630 of the total known cases, however, there was no risk information available.

The majority of these (71%) were aged between 15 and 44, the range within which most injecting drug users belonged at the time of testing.

Source : The Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH)

Notes

SCIEH estimate that the number of unknown hepatitis C cases exceeds the number of known cases several-fold.