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What is Hepatitis?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
How Does Hepatitis Affect African American Populations?
Hepatitis B infection has dropped significantly since 1991 but remains an area of concern for the African American population.
Death Rates for Viral Hepatitis, 2019 (all types)
Non-Hispanic Black
Non-Hispanic White
Non-Hispanic Black /Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Male
2.0
1.3
1.5
Female
0.8
0.6
Total
1.4
1.0
Source: CDC 2022. Deaths: Final Data for 2019. National vital statistics reports; vol. 70, no. 8. Table 10. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/106058
Hepatitis A, Acute (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
1.6
3.9
0.4
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 1.2 https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm. Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Hepatitis B, Acute (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
0.7
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 2.2 https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm
Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Hepatitis B, Chronic (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
5.8
Rate per 100,000 of Hepatitis-B-Related Deaths, 2020
0.67
0.27
2.5
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 2.8 https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm
Percentage of adults ages 19-49 years, high risk groups, who received 3 doses of the hepatitis B vaccination, 2018
35.4
43.6
Source: CDC 2022. Vaccination Coverage among Adults in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2018. Box 3, Table 2.https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/ss/ss7003a1.htm
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/105322
Percentage of adolescents aged 13 to 17 years who received 3 doses of the hepatitis B vaccination, 2021
92.2
92.9
Source: CDC 2022. Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Doses Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years, National Immunization Survey–Teen, United States, 2021. Suppl Table 1.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/coverage/teenvaxview/pubs-presentations/nis-teen-vac-coverage-estimates-2021-tables.html
Percentage of children age 19 to 35 months who received the universally recommended vaccination – 3 doses hepatitis B (hep B) vaccine, 2017
91.8
91.1
Source: CDC 2022. Vaccination Coverage Among Children Aged 19–35 Months - United States, 2017. Supplementary Table 1.https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/59414
Hepatitis C, Acute (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
1.1
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 3.2 https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm. Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Hepatitis C, Chronic (Cases per 100,000 population), 2020
25.9
26.3
Source: CDC 2022. Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report – United States, 2020. Table 3.6 https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2020surveillance/index.htm. Published September 2022. Accessed 12/8/2022.
Rate per 100,000 of Hepatitis-C-Related Deaths, 2020
5.63
3.18
1.8