丙型肝炎似乎在世界大部分地区均流行,但病例的分布并不均匀。 世界卫生组织 (World Health Organization, WHO) 的报告称,2015 年约有 175 万人新感染丙型肝炎(发病率为 23.7 例/100,000 人),使该病的感染总人数达到 7100 万(占全球人口的 1%)。 欧洲和东地中海区域的患病率最高(分别为 2.3% 和 1.5%)。[6]World Health Organization. Global hepatitis report, 2017. April 2017. http://apps.who.int (last accessed 27 September 2017).http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/255016/1/9789241565455-eng.pdf?ua=1 不同地区、不同年龄的患者在感染的发病率、患病率及基因型方面差异较大。[7]Messina JP, Humphreys I, Flaxman A, et al. Global distribution and prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes. Hepatology. 2015;61:77-87.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.27259/fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25069599?tool=bestpractice.com[8]Gower E, Estes C, Blach S, et al. Global epidemiology and genotype distribution of the hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatol. 2014;61(suppl):S45-S57.http://www.journal-of-hepatology.eu/article/S0168-8278(14)00526-1/fulltexthttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25086286?tool=bestpractice.com 欧洲感染率从 0.5%~2% 不等;[9]World Health Organization. Hepatitis C - global prevalence (update). Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 1999;74:425-427.http://www.who.int/docstore/wer/pdf/1999/wer7449.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10645164?tool=bestpractice.com 据估计,英国有 160,000 人有慢性丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV) 感染。[10]Public Health England. Hepatitis C in the UK: 2017 report. London: PHE publications; 2017.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632465/HCV_in_the_uk_report_2017.pdf 在某些地区,患病率可能高达 5% 至 15%,且不同地区有不同的风险情况和年龄人口学特征。[11]Nouroza F, Shaheena S, Mujtaba G, et al. An overview on hepatitis C virus genotypes and its control. Egypt J Med Hum Gen. 2015;16:291-298.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110863015000506 基因型 1 型在全球范围内最流行,占所有病例的 46%,其次是基因型 3 型 (22%) 以及基因型 2 和 4 型(各 13%)。[7]Messina JP, Humphreys I, Flaxman A, et al. Global distribution and prevalence of hepatitis C virus genotypes. Hepatology. 2015;61:77-87.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.27259/fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25069599?tool=bestpractice.com
美国估计约有 460 万人感染过丙型肝炎病毒,其中 350 万人目前处于感染状态。 新病例主要见于有注射毒品使用史的年轻白人。[12]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance for viral hepatitis - United States, 2014: hepatitis C. November 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/ (last accessed 27 September 2017).http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/Statistics/2012Surveillance/Commentary.htm#hepC 年发病例数已经从 20 世纪 80 年代的平均 24 万人降低到 2014 年的 30,500 人。[12]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance for viral hepatitis - United States, 2014: hepatitis C. November 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/ (last accessed 27 September 2017).http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/Statistics/2012Surveillance/Commentary.htm#hepC[13]Armstrong GL, Wasley A, Simard EP, et al. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, 1999 through 2002. Ann Intern Med. 2006;144:705-714.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16702586?tool=bestpractice.com[14]Wasley A, Alter MJ. Epidemiology of hepatitis C: geographic differences and temporal trends. Semin Liver Dis. 2000;20:1-16.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10895428?tool=bestpractice.com 然而,自 2010 年起,急性感染病例日益增加,2014 年的总发病率为 0.7 例/100,000 人。[12]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surveillance for viral hepatitis - United States, 2014: hepatitis C. November 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/ (last accessed 27 September 2017).http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/Statistics/2012Surveillance/Commentary.htm#hepC
在英国,约有 214,000 人患有慢性丙型肝炎。英国各地的感染的患病率不一。 注射毒品仍然是感染最重要的危险因素。[10]Public Health England. Hepatitis C in the UK: 2017 report. London: PHE publications; 2017.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/632465/HCV_in_the_uk_report_2017.pdf
特定人群的患病率更高,如被监禁或被收容者。[15]Mahowald MK, Larney S, Zaller ND, et al. Characterizing the burden of hepatitis C infection among entrants to Pennsylvania state prisons, 2004 to 2012. J Correct Health Care. 2016;22:41-45.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4683408/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26672118?tool=bestpractice.com 从 2006 年到 2014 年,美国育龄女性中的病例数量翻了一番,达到约 30,000 例,估计在 2011 年至 2014 年间,有 1700 名婴儿出生时携带丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV)。[16]Ly KN, Jiles RB, Teshale EH, et al. Hepatitis C virus infection among reproductive-aged women and children in the United States, 2006 to 2014. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166:775-782.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28492929?tool=bestpractice.com 在全球 3670 万存活的 HIV 感染者中,230 万人存在或既往有 HCV 感染。[6]World Health Organization. Global hepatitis report, 2017. April 2017. http://apps.who.int (last accessed 27 September 2017).http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/255016/1/9789241565455-eng.pdf?ua=1
丙型肝炎病毒感染的实际发病率可能更高,因为新发感染患者通常没有症状。[14]Wasley A, Alter MJ. Epidemiology of hepatitis C: geographic differences and temporal trends. Semin Liver Dis. 2000;20:1-16.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10895428?tool=bestpractice.com
预期晚期肝病患者数量及疾病负担将会大幅增加。[17]Davis GL, Alter MJ, El-Serag H, et al. Aging of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected persons in the United States: a multiple cohort model of HCV prevalence and disease progression. Gastroenterology. 2010;138:513-521.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19861128?tool=bestpractice.com 美国 4 个研究团队对 11,000 名患者进行了研究,研究结果显示丙型肝炎病毒感染人群死亡率是未感染人群的 12 倍。[18]Mahajan R, Xing J, Liu SJ, et al. Mortality among persons in care with hepatitis C virus infection: the Chronic Hepatitis Cohort Study (CHeCS), 2006-2010. Clin Infect Dis. 2014;58:1055-1061.https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/58/8/1055/357542/Mortality-Among-Persons-in-Care-With-Hepatitis-Chttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24523214?tool=bestpractice.com