An official website of the United States government
Hepatitis B Surveillance 2021
What Is Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). HBV is transmitted when blood, semen, or another body fluid from a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is uninfected.
This can happen through sexual contact; sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or from the gestational parent to baby during pregnancy or at birth.
For some persons, hepatitis B is an acute, or short-term, illness; for others, it can become a long-term, chronic infection. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to serious health problems, including cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death.
Treatments are available, but no cure exists for hepatitis B. The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by being vaccinated.
Acute Hepatitis B
2,045
There were 2,045 new cases of acute hepatitis B reported during 2021
13,300
There were 13,300 estimated acute hepatitis B virus infections during 2021
Chronic Hepatitis B
14,229
There were 14,229 cases of newly reported chronic hepatitis B during 2021
5.9
There were 5.9 newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B per 100,000 people during 2021
Acute Hepatitis B
During 2021, 47 states reported 2,045 acute hepatitis B cases resulting in an estimated 13,300 infections. After a decade of stable rates, the rate of acute hepatitis B abruptly decreased in 2020; the rate decreased again by 14% in 2021. This decrease may be related to fewer people seeking healthcare and being tested for hepatitis B during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hepatitis B Prevention
Hepatitis B vaccination prevents hepatitis B. Reported cases of acute hepatitis B decreased after CDC recommended routine child vaccination in 1991. The decrease continued until 2011, leveled off, and then declined again in 2020 and 2021, which may be due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To further decrease hepatitis B incidence, CDC published the 2022 universal hepatitis B adult vaccination recommendation calling for all people aged 19–59 years to receive hepatitis B vaccine whether they have risk factors or not.
Fast Facts About Acute Hepatitis B in 2021
The rate of reported acute hepatitis B cases decreased 14% from 2020–2021
73% of all acute hepatitis B cases were persons aged 30–59 years
States in the Appalachian region had rates of acute hepatitis B higher than the US average
Rates of acute hepatitis B were highest among non-Hispanic Black persons
Chronic Hepatitis B
During 2021, a total of 14,229 newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B, corresponding to a rate of 5.9 cases per 100,000 people.
The rate of newly reported chronic hepatitis B cases among non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander persons (27.0 cases per 100,000 people) was 14 times the rate among non-Hispanic White persons (1.9 cases per 100,000 people).
Fast Facts About Chronic Hepatitis B in 2021
In 2021, the rate of newly reported chronic hepatitis B was 14x higher among non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander persons than among non-Hispanic White persons
89% of newly reported chronic hepatitis B cases occurred in persons 30 years and older
- Figure 2.1. Number of reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection and estimated infections — United States, 2014–2021
- Figure 2.2. Rates of reported acute hepatitis B virus infection, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2020–2021
- Figure 2.3. Rates of reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2021
- Figure 2.4. Rates of reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection, by age group — United States, 2006–2021
- Figure 2.5. Rates of reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection, by sex — United States, 2006–2021
- Figure 2.6. Rates of reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection, by race/ethnicity — United States, 2006–2021
- Figure 2.7. Availability of information on risk behaviors or exposures associated with reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection — United States, 2021
- Figure 2.8. Rates of deaths with hepatitis B virus infection listed as a cause of death among residents, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2021
- Table 2.1. Numbers and rates of reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2017–2021
- Table 2.2. Numbers and rates of reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection, by demographic characteristics — United States, 2017–2021
- Table 2.3. Reported risk behaviors or exposures among reported cases of acute hepatitis B virus infection — United States, 2021
- Table 2.4. Number of newly reported cases of perinatal hepatitis B virus infection, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2021
- Table 2.5. Number and rate of newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2021
- Table 2.6. Number and rate of newly reported cases of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, by demographic characteristics — United States, 2021
- Table 2.7. Numbers and rates of deaths with hepatitis B virus infection listed as a cause of death among residents, by state or jurisdiction — United States, 2017–2021
- Table 2.8. Numbers and rates of deaths with hepatitis B virus infections listed as a cause of death among residents, by demographic characteristics — United States, 2017–2021