Statistics

Hepatitis A

• About 15% of people infected with hepatitis A will have recurring symptoms over a 6 to 9 month period.
• Hepatitis A occurs in epidemics (many affected people) within the United States and internationally.
• During epidemics years the number of cases of hepatitis A reached 35,000 in the U.S.
• The number of cases of hepatitis A decreased in the early 1990, when the vaccine (shot) began to be used more commonly.
• One-third of Americans have had hepatitis A at some point of their lives.

  Hepatitis B

• About 30% of people with hepatitis B show no signs or symptoms.
• Chronic (long-term) infection due to hepatitis B occurs in 90% of babies infected at birth.
• Death from chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B occurs in 15 to 25% of infected persons.
• Infections due to hepatitis B declined from 450,000 in the 1980s to about 80,000 in the late 1990s.
• The highest number of cases of hepatitis B occurs in people from 20 to 49 years of age.
• Largest decline of hepatitis B due to vaccination has occurred in children and teenagers.
• About 1.25 million people in the United States have chronic infection of hepatitis B.
• Between 20 and 30% of adult Americans with chronic hepatitis B were infected during childhood.

  Hepatitis C

• About 80% of persons infected with hepatitis C show no signs or symptoms.
• Chronic infection due to hepatitis C occurs among 75% to 85% of infected people.
• Persons infected with hepatitis C have declined from 240,000 in the 1980s to 40,000 in 1998.
• A majority of persons infected with hepatitis C are infected because of drug use.
• About 3.9 million Americans have been infected with hepatitis C.
• Of the total hepatitis C infected Americans, about 2.7 million are chronically infected.