What is Viral Hepatitis?

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver.  The liver is an organ in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen that processes nutrients, filters the blood and fights infections.  When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be adversely affected.  The most frequent cause of hepatitis is a virus.  the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is estimated that in the United States,  3.5 million persons are infected with HCV and 850,000 to 2.2 million are chronically infected with HBV. 

Hepatitis C Testing Resources

The Ohio Hepatitis C Resource Guide contains information on the HCV resources available in Ohio, including antibody screening tests, confirmatory HCV RNA testing, syringe exchange programs (SEPs), and Project DAWN (naloxone distribution sites). All of the locations included in the Resource Guide offer their HCV resources for free, on a sliding- scale fee, or at a low fixed-fee cost.  The Resource Guide is organized by county, and users can click on the links in the table of contents or on the Ohio map to be directed to a specific county's resource information. 

Local Health Departments and Healthcare Providers

The Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS) is the preferred method of reporting hepatitis B and C infections to the Ohio Department of Health.  Information about ODRS is available on the Ohio Disease Reporting System page of odh.ohio.gov.

• For questions about the Ohio Disease Reporting System - ODRS@odh.ohio.gov

Ohio Department of Health
Bureau of Health Services
Hepatitis Surveillance Program
246 N. High St
Columbus, OH 43215
E-mail:: hepatitis@odh.ohio.gov
Fax: (614) 564-2439