Hepatitis causes significant morbidity and mortality globally and in the US. Worldwide, viral hepatitis was implicated in 1.35 million deaths in 2015. Globally, over 300 million people have chronic hepatitis.
In 2015, the most recent year for which statistics are available, there were 10,000 reported cases of acute hepatitis in the US. The CDC estimates that the unreported cases in the US that year were approximately 60,000. Without appropriate laboratory testing, hepatitis can be hard to diagnose and differentiate. There are multiple causes of hepatitis, not all hepatitis is viral. The symptoms accompanying viral hepatitis are shared by other diseases. The laboratory thus has an important role in the workup, monitoring and treatment of patients with suspected hepatitis. The quick and accurate diagnosis of acute hepatitis can lead to lower transmission, better treatment, and better public health outcomes.
