Hepatitis

Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver, one of the largest and most important organs in a person’s body. “Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus. . . . The three most common viruses that cause hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.”1

Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It “spreads through close person-to-person contact or by eating or drinking contaminated food or drink.”2 It usually causes a mild, short-term illness, and vaccination is the best way to prevent infection.3

Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It spreads through bodily fluids, and “infection can result in acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) illness. Vaccination is the best way to prevent infection.”

Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). If left untreated, “hepatitis C can lead to serious liver problems, like damage, scarring, or cancer.”4 It can be cured with oral medication.

This page provides data points and curated searches from OMH’s Knowledge Center library catalog related to hepatitis within minority and tribal populations in the United States and its territories. The number of catalog records for each topic reflect the search results at the time of this page’s latest update.

American Indian/Alaska Native

In 2021, non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives were nearly three times more likely to die from viral hepatitis than non-Hispanic whites,5 and in 2022, non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives were 3.4 times more likely to die from hepatitis C than non-Hispanic whites.6

For additional data on hepatitis and American Indians/Alaska Natives, please visit our Population Profiles.

Asian American

In 2022, non-Hispanic Asians/Pacific Islanders were newly diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B at more than 10 times the rate of non-Hispanic whites,7 and non-Hispanic Asian Americans were more than seven times more likely to die from hepatitis B than non-Hispanic whites in 2018.8

For additional data on hepatitis and Asian Americans, please visit our Population Profiles.

Black/African American

In 2022, non-Hispanic Black or African Americans were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B at more than four times the rate of non-Hispanic whites.9 Non-Hispanic Black or African Americans were also more than twice as likely to die from hepatitis B than non-Hispanic whites.10

For additional data on hepatitis and Black/African Americans, please visit our Population Profiles.

Hispanic/Latino

In 2020, Hispanics were 30% more likely to die from viral hepatitis as compared to non-Hispanic whites.11 Despite having lower case rates of hepatitis C, Hispanics were 10% more likely to die from that disease than non-Hispanic whites in 2022.12

For additional data on hepatitis and Hispanic Americans, please visit our Population Profiles.

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

In 2021, non-Hispanic Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were 4.3 times more likely to die from viral hepatitis than non-Hispanic whites.13 In 2022, Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were 17.3 times more likely to die from hepatitis B than non-Hispanic whites.14

NOTE: Specific health data for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders is often limited, and federal data collection and reporting practices often combine Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander data. Due to this, there is currently no Population Profile for hepatitis and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.

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1 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Basics. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/about/ (Back to footnote)

2 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Basics. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/about/ (Back to footnote)

3 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Basics. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/about/ (Back to footnote)

4 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Basics. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/about/ (Back to footnote)

5 CDC. (2024). Deaths: Final Data for 2021. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 73, No. 8. Table 11. (Back to footnote)

6 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report — United States, 2022.  Table 3.8. (Back to footnote)

7 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report — United States, 2022.  Table 2.6. (Back to footnote)

8 CDC. (2020). Viral Hepatitis Surveillance — United States, 2018. Table 2.7. https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/statistics/2018surveillance/pdfs/2018HepSurveillanceRpt.pdf (Back to footnote)

9 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report — United States, 2022.  Table 2.6. (Back to footnote)

10 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report — United States, 2022.  Table 2.8. (Back to footnote)

11 CDC. (2023). Deaths: Final Data for 2020. National Vital Statistics Report, vol. 72, no. 10. Table 10. (Back to footnote)

12 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report — United States, 2022.  Table 3.8. (Back to footnote)

13 CDC. (2024). Deaths: Final Data for 2021. National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 73, No. 8. Table 11. (Back to footnote)

14 CDC. (2024). Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Report — United States, 2022.  Table 2.8. (Back to footnote)