The burden of Hepatitis A outbreaks in the United States: Health outcomes, economic costs, and management strategies

Background

Hepatitis A (HepA) vaccines are recommended for United States (US) adults at risk of HepA. Ongoing US HepA outbreaks since 2016 have primarily spread person-to-person, especially among at-risk groups. We investigated the health outcomes, economic burden, and outbreak management considerations associated with HepA outbreaks from 2016 onwards.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted to assess HepA outbreak-associated health outcomes, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and economic burden. A targeted literature review evaluated HepA outbreak management considerations.

Results

Across 33 studies reporting on HepA outbreak-associated health outcomes/HCRU, frequently reported HepA-related morbidities included acute liver failure/injury (n=6 studies/33 studies) and liver transplantation (n=5/33); reported case fatality rates ranged from 0-10.8%. Hospitalization rates reported in studies investigating person-to-person outbreaks ranged from 41.6-84.8%. Ten studies reported on outbreak-associated economic burden, with a national study reporting an average cost of over $16,000 per hospitalization. Thirty-four studies reported on outbreak management; challenges included difficulty reaching at-risk groups and vaccination distrust. Successes included targeted interventions and increasing public awareness.

Conclusions

This review indicates a considerable clinical and economic burden of ongoing US HepA outbreaks. Targeted prevention strategies and increased public awareness and vaccination coverage are needed to reduce HepA burden and prevent future outbreaks.