INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of hepatitis C in Canada is not known. There is limited information on most small area populations such as Prince Edward Island. METHODS: A retrospective approach was used to obtain detailed information on all cases of hepatitis C identified in Prince Edward Island from December 1990 to September 1995. Cases were reviewed for demographic, clinical and risk factor information, including blood donation and transfusion histories. RESULTS: There were 54 RIBA confirmed cases of hepatitis C infection included in the Prince Edward Island Hepatitis C Database, of which 38 (70%) were males. Age ranged from 18 to 76 years, with a mean age of 38 years. Twenty-eight (52%) of the cases had a history of injection drug use, and 24 (44%) had received blood or blood products in the past. There were five cases with neither of these risk factors identified. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that, in this small, primarily rural population, injection drug use is the most common means of hepatitis C transmission, followed by receipt of blood or blood products.
INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of hepatitis C in Canada is not known. There is limited information on most small area populations such as Prince Edward Island. METHODS: A retrospective approach was used to obtain detailed information on all cases of hepatitis C identified in Prince Edward Island from December 1990 to September 1995. Cases were reviewed for demographic, clinical and risk factor information, including blood donation and transfusion histories. RESULTS: There were 54 RIBA confirmed cases of hepatitis C infection included in the Prince Edward Island Hepatitis C Database, of which 38 (70%) were males. Age ranged from 18 to 76 years, with a mean age of 38 years. Twenty-eight (52%) of the cases had a history of injection drug use, and 24 (44%) had received blood or blood products in the past. There were five cases with neither of these risk factors identified. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that, in this small, primarily rural population, injection drug use is the most common means of hepatitis C transmission, followed by receipt of blood or blood products.