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Background: Highly effective hepatitis C therapies are available in Australia. However, people living with hepatitis C face various barriers to accessing care and treatment. Aims: To identify gaps in the cascade of care for hepatitis C and generate estimates of the number living with untreated infection according to population group, using a representative longitudinal study population. Methods: We linked hepatitis C notification data from Victoria to national pathology, prescribing and death registry data. We assessed receipt of key clinical services in a large cohort who tested positive for hepatitis C from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2016, with follow‐up to 30 June 2018. We estimated the number still living with hepatitis C, adjusting for spontaneous clearance and mortality. Results: The cohort comprised 45 391 people positive for hepatitis C. Of these, 13 346 (29%) received treatment and an estimated 28% (95% confidence interval (CI): 26–30%) were still living with chronic infection at 30 June 2018, with the remainder still living following spontaneous clearance (30%, 95% CI: 29–32%) or having died (12%, 95% CI: 12–12%). Half (50%) of those still living with hepatitis C were born from 1965 to 1980, and 74% first tested positive before 2011. Conclusions: Despite an enabling policy environment and subsidised therapy, many people in this cohort were not treated. Increased measures may be needed to engage people in care, including those who acquired hepatitis C more than 10 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People living in Australia on temporary student or work visas are excluded from Medicare access and can face barriers to adequate healthcare, even if they are privately insured. This analysis aimed to quantify this issue in relation to people living with chronic hepatitis B, the majority of whom in Australia were born overseas. The data suggest that an estimated 25 000 people living with chronic hepatitis B in Australia are ineligible for Medicare, 10% of the total number affected, with considerable potential impact in access to effective healthcare and prevention of adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence and trends of the hepatitis D virus (HDV) in Australia have not been recently assessed, and the circulating genotypes have never been determined. Aim: To characterise the current virology and epidemiology of HDV. Methods: Notifiable disease surveillance and laboratory testing data were analysed to assess demographics, risk factors and trends. HDV serology and RNA testing were performed on requested samples from 2010 to 2016. Sequencing of a 500‐nucleotide amplicon of the delta antigen and phylogenetic analysis of the strains from 2009 to 2016 were also conducted. Results: Ninety HDV notifications were reported to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services between 2010 and 2016. The majority (64.4%) of those diagnosed were born overseas, most commonly in Sudan, Pakistan and Vietnam. Over the same period, 190 patients tested positive for anti‐HDV serology and 166 for HDV RNA. Sequencing of isolates from 169 individuals between 2009 and 2016 found that 80.5% strains were genotype 1, 16% genotype 5 and 3.5% genotype 2. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the relatedness of strains from birth country, demonstrated the presence of the 'Pacific Island' genotype 1 strain in Queensland and supported possible transmission in correctional facilities and within families. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the ongoing need for routine HDV screening and engagement in clinical care for people living with HBV in Australia. Epidemiological findings highlight the diversity in those affected and provide insights into local and global geographic distribution and transmission patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Liver cancer continues to be a health priority in Australia, with the majority attributable to preventable causes, and certain populations at higher risk. Aims: Epidemiological assessment of incidence, trends and distribution to inform prevention, and reassessment of data in light of recent changes to registry case definitions. Methods: Reported cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Victoria, Australia, 1984–2013, were obtained from the Victorian Cancer Registry. Demographic characteristics were examined, incidence and survival assessed using Poisson and Cox regression, and geographic distribution mapped. Incidence was compared before and after inclusion of non‐histologically confirmed cases in Registry data to assess impacts on incidence trends. Results: Diagnoses of HCC rose substantially between 1984 and 2013, increasing sixfold from 0.9 to 5.9 per 100 000. The rate of increase per year accelerated from 5.3% between 1984 and 2003 to 9.5% between 2004 and 2013. Cases were disproportionately male (80%), median age at diagnosis was 66 years and 53% were born overseas. Even during 2004–2013, 5‐year survival was only 16%, although higher among younger people, metropolitan residents and people born overseas. Incidence showed strong geographic clustering. The proportion of cases diagnosed clinically increased from 1% during 1984–2004 to 43% in 2009–2013. The revised case definition added 993 cases (27.3% of total). Conclusion: Cases of HCC are becoming increasingly common, and revised incidence estimates highlight the impact of case definitions in the context of changing diagnostic approaches. The ongoing burden, disproportionate population distribution and low survival emphasise the importance of prevention and early detection as a public health imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]