Hepatitis A surveillance using commercial laboratory data

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections have persisted in the United States despite the availability of an effective vaccine. Recent outbreaks of HAV infections among unvaccinated adults attributed to consumption of HAV-contaminated food, or person-to-person contact in certain populations (e.g., men who have sex with men) or settings (e.g., homeless shelters) have emphasized the importance of targeted vaccination of at-risk adults.

Objective:

To evaluate the use of commercial laboratory data for monitoring trends in HAV infections over time and identifying geographic and demographic characteristics of HAV case clusters for the purpose of targeting interventions.