Background: Low percent of diagnosed HCV infections is an important public health problem in Poland. Registered trends of HCV incidence compared to prevalence data allow to interpret the diagnosis rate in different groups.
Aim: To assess epidemiological situation of hepatitis C in Poland in 2011 in comparison to preceding years.
Methods: The descriptive analysis was based on data retrieved from routine mandatory surveillance system. Case classification according to 2005 definition and 2009 definition was verified on a basis of individual case reports.
Results: In total there were 2151 hepatitis C cases meeting the 2005 case definition registered in 2011 (incidence 5.58 per 100,000) and the increasing trend observed since 2009 was continued. With respect to the estimated number of prevalent cases the diagnosis rate was 78 per 10,000. This indicator was lower for the rural areas, for the age group 30-49 and varied significantly across regions. The increasing trend of mortality is also of note (2009--137 deaths; 2010--167, preliminary data for 2011--191, mortality 0.5 per 100,000) CONCLUSIONS: The increasing hepatitis C incidence may be a result of intensification of testing activities. Low indicator of diagnosis rate and the increasing mortality call for improvement in access to diagnosis and treatment.