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Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is one of several types of viruses that can cause hepatitis or inflammation of the liver. Symptoms can be mild lasting several weeks or symptoms can be more severe lasting several months. Many people infected with hepatitis A do not experience any symptoms.
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Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. Acute HBV infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the virus. Acute infection can — but does not always — lead to chronic infection. Chronic HBV infection is a long-term illness that occurs when the virus remains in a person's body.
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Hepatitis C Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is the most common bloodborne illness in the United States, affecting more than 3 million people and is the leading cause of liver cancer and liver transplants. Once a person is infected, HCV can cause acute or chronic infection. An acute infection is a short-term illness that happens within the first six months after being exposed to the virus. During this time, many people do not show any symptoms. However, more than half of all acute infections lead to chronic infections which can have serious long-term health complications.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health summarized viral hepatitis electronic disease surveillance data from 2013 to 2022. This summary excludes Philadelphia data which is available here. Rates of viral hepatitis in Pennsylvania, excluding Philadelphia, are lower than national rates but counts of acute and chronic cases are substantial. This work informs viral hepatitis elimination planning and efforts to increase service access for populations in need including people who use drugs and people of reproductive age. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) will continue to partner with organizations that serve populations in need to increase service delivery at facility types such as correctional institutions and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). View the full report.
In 2015, following an HIV and related hepatitis C outbreak resulting from needle-sharing in Scott County, Indiana, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study to assess which U.S. counties were at risk for a similar outbreak. In 2020, Pennsylvania conducted an in-state vulnerability assessment with more recent, census tract-level data to determine which communities are at the highest risk of bloodborne infections associated with unsterile drug use and drug overdose deaths. This assessment was updated in 2025 and the full report is available here.