Key findings
- The 2nd Australasian Conference on Hepatitis C, perhaps uniquely in the field of hepatitis C internationally, brought together diverse groups of people to discuss a broad range of issues.
- Worldwide comparison of HCV nucleotide sequences has resulted in the identification of six main HCV genotypes, with closely related variants within each genotype. Some genotypes (types 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b) have broad geographical distribution, while others (types 5a, 6a) are found in specific regions.
- In Australasia, as in Europe and North America, the most common genotypes are 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, and 3a, although their distribution varies according to age and/or duration of HCV infection. Type 1b is more commonly found among those with longer duration of infection or older age.
- Based on patient reported risk factors for HCV infection, 20 – 25% of HCV infections in the United States were attributed to sexual transmission.
- Although HCV prevalence in Australia has remained high, it had declined significantly from 63% in 1995 to 50% in 1998. Among people who had injected drugs for less than three years, HCV prevalence dropped from 22% in 1995 to 13% in 1997.