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Hepatitis A Surveillance 2022
What is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable disease caused by infection of the liver with the hepatitis A virus (HAV). HAV is usually transmitted person to person through the fecal-oral route or through consumption of contaminated food or water.
Most adults and older children with hepatitis A have symptoms that usually resolve within 2 months after infection; children aged less than 6 years usually do not have symptoms, or they have an unrecognized infection.
Signs and symptoms associated with hepatitis A can include:
- Abdominal pain
- Dark urine or clay-colored stools
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Jaundice
- Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
Hepatitis A is a self-limited disease that does not result in chronic infection. Treatment for HAV infection might include rest, adequate nutrition, and fluids. Hospitalization might be required for more severe cases.
The best way to prevent hepatitis A is by being vaccinated.
There were 2,265 new cases of hepatitis A reported during 2022
There were 4,500 estimated infections during 2022
There were 118 hepatitis A-related deaths reported during 2022
Hepatitis A cases remain 1.6 times as high as in 2015
After annual increases from 2015, hepatitis A cases began to decrease in 2020. Since 2016, the United States experienced hepatitis A outbreaks in multiple states that were caused by person-to-person spread primarily among adults who use drugs and experience homelessness. From 2021–2022, there was a 60% decrease in the number of newly reported cases of hepatitis A. However, the number of cases in 2022 remains 1.6 times as high as in 2015.
The rate of hepatitis A cases decreased 59% from 2021–2022
The number of hepatitis A cases in 2022 was 1.6 times as high as in 2015
Persons aged 30–39 years had the highest rate of hepatitis A
58% of hepatitis A cases occurred among non-Hispanic White persons
- Figure 1.1. Number of reported cases and estimated infections of hepatitis A — United States, 2015–2022
- Figure 1.2. Rates of reported cases of hepatitis A, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2021–2022
- Figure 1.3. Rates of reported cases of hepatitis A, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2022
- Figure 1.4. Rates of reported cases of hepatitis A, by age group — United States, 2007–2022
- Figure 1.5. Rates of reported cases of hepatitis A, by sex — United States, 2007–2022
- Figure 1.6. Rates of reported cases of hepatitis A, by race/ethnicity — United States, 2007–2022
- Figure 1.7. Availability of information regarding risk behaviors or exposures associated with reported cases of hepatitis A — United States, 2022
- Table 1.1. Numbers and rates of reported cases of hepatitis A, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2018–2022
- Table 1.2. Numbers and rates of reported cases of hepatitis A, by demographic characteristics — United States, 2018–2022
- Table 1.3. Reported risk behaviors or exposures among reported cases of hepatitis A — United States, 2022
- Table 1.4. Numbers and rates of deaths with hepatitis A listed as a cause of death among residents, by demographic characteristics — United States, 2018–2022