Risk Factors for Hospitalization During a Multistate, Person-to-Person Hepatitis A Outbreak

Noninjection drug use, sex between males, and homelessness were significantly associated with hospitalization.

Hepatitis A is usually acquired through fecal-oral transmission and is typically mild and self-limited. A vaccine has been available since 1995, but hepatitis A vaccination coverage of adults in the U.S. has been limited. Since 2016, hospitalization for hepatitis A has increased dramatically, and this appears to be due primarily to person-to-person spread among high-risk adults.

A retrospective, cross-sectional study (2016 to 2019) by state health departments and the CDC evaluated a random sample of hepatitis A cases (10% [817]; male, 63%; mean age, 39). More than 70% used drugs, 14% were experiencing homelessness or transient living or were in unstable housing, and 10% reported sexual contact with men. Of this sample group, 61% were linked …

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

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Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Risk Factors for Hospitalization During a Multistate, Person-to-Person Hepatitis A Outbreak

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Reviewing Author