MMWR: Evaluation of Acute Hepatitis C Infection Surveillance – United States, 2008

This report describes CDC comparison of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) surveillance data reported in 2008 from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDS) and the Emerging Infections Program (EIP), which conducts enhanced surveillance for acute hepatitis C in selected states. Results show that 26 of 120 cases reported from EIP-funded sites were missing from NNDSS. Data on race and major HCV risk factors were missing from 22 percent and 60 percent of reports in NNDSS, compared with 8 percent and 25 percent of reports in EIP, respectively. The mean duration between diagnosis and reporting of the case to state health department was 30 days in NNDSS, compared with 19 days in EIP sites.