Hepatitis C
Meaning of hepatitis c: For the purposes of this Statement of Principles, hepatitis C means infection with the hepatitis C virus resulting in: (a) an acute, symptomatic, clinical illness characterised by inflammation of the liver, and which is confirmed by laboratory testing for hepatitis C serological or nucleic acid markers; or (b) a chronic infection of at least six months duration, and which is confirmed by laboratory testing for hepatitis C nucleic acid markers.
Reasonable Hypothesis (RH) — Statement of Principles No. 13 of 2018
At least one of the following factors must as a minimum exist before it can be said that a reasonable hypothesis has been raised connecting hepatitis C or death from hepatitis C with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)being exposed to the hepatitis C virus at least one week before the clinical onset of hepatitis C;
Note: being exposed to the hepatitis C virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)being infected with the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis D or hepatitis E virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C;
- (3)for chronic infection only: (a) being infected with human immunodeficiency virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (b) undergoing solid organ, stem cell or bone marrow transplantation before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (c) being treated with rituximab within the one year before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (d) for females only, consuming a total of at least 55 kilograms of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (e) for males only, consuming a total of at least 70 kilograms of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (f) smoking at least 15 pack-years of cigarettes, or the equivalent thereof in other tobacco products, within the 20 years before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (g) being obese for at least the five years before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (h) having severe hepatic iron overload at the time of the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; or (i) having evidence of chronic infection with schistosomiasis involving the liver before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C;
Note: Alcohol consumption is calculated utilising the Australian Standard of ten grams of alcohol per standard alcoholic drink.
Note: Alcohol consumption is calculated utilising the Australian Standard of ten grams of alcohol per standard alcoholic drink.
Note: pack-years of cigarettes, or the equivalent thereof in other tobacco products is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Note: being obese is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
Note: iron overload is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (4)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for hepatitis C;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(2) to 9(4) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
Balance of Probabilities (BoP) — Statement of Principles No. 14 of 2018
4 factors
At least one of the following factors must exist before it can be said that, on the balance of probabilities, hepatitis C or death from hepatitis C is connected with the circumstances of a person's relevant service:
- (1)being exposed to the hepatitis C virus at least one week before the clinical onset of hepatitis C;
Note: being exposed to the hepatitis C virus is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (2)being infected with the hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis D or hepatitis E virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C;
- (3)for chronic infection only: (a) being infected with human immunodeficiency virus before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (b) undergoing solid organ, stem cell or bone marrow transplantation before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (c) for females only, consuming a total of at least 75 kilograms of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (d) for males only, consuming a total of at least 100 kilograms of alcohol within the ten years before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; (e) having severe hepatic iron overload at the time of the clinical worsening of hepatitis C; or (f) having evidence of chronic infection with schistosomiasis involving the liver before the clinical worsening of hepatitis C;
Note: Alcohol consumption is calculated utilising the Australian Standard of ten grams of alcohol per standard alcoholic drink.
Note: Alcohol consumption is calculated utilising the Australian Standard of ten grams of alcohol per standard alcoholic drink.
Note: iron overload is defined in the Schedule 1 - Dictionary.
- (4)inability to obtain appropriate clinical management for hepatitis C;
Aggravation-only factors: the factors in subsections 9(2) to 9(4) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, the condition where it was suffered or contracted before or during (but did not arise out of) the person’s relevant service.
