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KMID : 1188320140080040428
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Gut and Liver
2014 Volume.8 No. 4 p.428 ~ p.432
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Regional Distribution of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in the Republic of Korea, 2007?2011
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Kwon Geun-Yong
Lee Hyung-Min
Gwack Jin
Lee Sang-Won
Ki Mo-Ran
Youn Seung-Ki
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Abstract
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Background/Aims:In Korea, hepatitis C is included as an infectious disease in a sentinel surveillance system. Recently, a large variation in hepatitis C incidence between different regions in Korea has been noticed. The current study verified the nationwide distribution of hepatitis C infection for effective prevention and management.
Methods:We counted the number of hepatitis C patients who visited a hospital per county using the National Health Insurance database from 2007 to 2011. The age-adjusted prevalence ratio was used, and the age adjustment method was used as an indirect standardization method. Disease mapping and spatial analysis were conducted using a geographic information system.
Results:The annual prevalence of diagnosed hepatitis C was approximately 0.12% to 0.13% in Korea. The age-adjusted prevalence ratios in Busan, Jeonnam, and Gyeongnam were high (1.75, 1.4, and 1.3, respectively). The three regions in the southern coastal area of the Korean Peninsula were identified as a high-prevalence cluster (Moran’s index, 0.3636).
Conclusions:The present study showed that hepatitis C infection has very large regional variation, and there are several high-risk areas. Preventive measures focusing on these areas should be applied to block the transmission of hepatitis C and reduce the disease burden.
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KEYWORD
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Hepatitis C, Infection, Prevalence, Republic of Korea, Spatial analysis
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