Hepatitis was traditionally separated into two types based on clinical and epidemiological characteristics: type A caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and type B caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cannot be cultivated, and it was only through recombinant DNA technology that a diagnostic test was devised to identify hepatitis C as the major cause of what had previously been termed non-A non-B (NANB) hepatitis.
This page provides surveillance data on selected gastrointestinal diseases. For information on the symptoms, treatment and reporting of gastrointestinal illness please click here.
For a more detailed analysis of the main gastrointestinal diseases please see the latest annual report under the publications section below.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a widening of the main artery in the body, as it passes through the abdomen. The walls of the artery weaken, causing it to ba
lloon out. It is more common in older men, smokers, people with high blood pressure and people with other cardiovascular diseases.
Clostridium difficile
2018 C.difficile surveillance quarterly reports can be found here
C.difficile surveillance report quarter October-December 2017.pdf
Vaccination coverage refers to the number of people who receive vaccines as part of different immunisation programmes. These programmes help protect individuals and communities from serious disease.
Northern Ireland monitors vaccination coverage on a regular basis to help improve vaccination programmes and learn how well people are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Vaccination programmes include: