Hepatitis B, Acute

Reportable by Laboratories and Providers

About this Reportable Disease

Infectious agent: Hepatitis B virus

Description of illness: Hepatitis B is a virus that can cause inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted by sexual contact but can also be transmitted by contact with other body fluids or from mother to baby in pregnancy or during childbirth. It is vaccine preventable. Many people with Hepatitis B do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. If symptoms occur, they can include: fever, feeling tired, not wanting to eat, upset stomach, throwing up, dark urine, grey-colored stool, joint pain, and yellow skin and eyes.

Interactive Disease Data

Laboratory Reporting for this Disease

Hepatitis B

TEST NAME	Hepatitis B
DISEASE/DISORDER	Hepatitis B
ALTERNATE NAME(S)	Hep B, HBV, HBsAg, HBsAb, anti-HB(s)
METHODOLOGY	Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) on the Abbott Architect Analyzer
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS	Hepatitis B Panel includes HBV surface antibody, surface antigen, and total Core antibodies.
ORDERING INFORMATION	Lab Web Portal PTBMIS: - Test Order Code: HEPB - Test Order Description: Hepatitis B Pan

Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation	Venipuncture
Specimen Collection	Acceptable Specimen Sources/Type(s) - Whole blood in serum separator tube (SST) - Whole blood in serum coagulation tube (red top)
Specimen Labeling	Specimen must be labeled with at least two unique patient identifiers and match accompanying test order.
Specimen Processing	Specimens should be centrifuged 1837 RCF (g) for 12 minutes.
Specimen Storage and Preservation	Specimens may be stored on or off the clot, red blood cells, or separator gel for ≤ three (3) days for specimens stored 21 to 22°C or up to six (6) days for specimens stored at 2 to 8°C. If testing will be delayed more than six (6) days for specimens stored at 2 to 8°C, aliquot serum into a sterile, plastic, screw-capped vial and store at ≤ -20°C. Avoid more than three (3) freeze/thaw cycle
Specimen Transport	Ship specimens at 2 to 8°C on cold packs. Specimen must be placed in a biohazard bag with absorbent material and should be shipped to the laboratory on the day of collection, if possible. All infectious substance shipments must conform to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR 49 C.F.R. Parts 171-180).
Specimen Acceptability and Rejection	Serum specimens collected in serum coagulation (red top) tubes or serum separator tubes will be accepted. Grossly hemolyzed, lipemic, or microbially contaminated specimens will be rejected. Cadaveric specimens will be rejected. Specimens with clerical errors in the lab order or on the specimen tube will be rejected. Specimens broken in transit will be rejected. Specimens leaking in transit may be rejected after assessment of viability and contamination. Specimens with insufficient volumes of serum will be rejected. Specimens transported or stored at incorrect temperatures will be rejected. Specimens received after expiration of viability will be rejected. Unlabeled or improperly identified specimens will be rejected.
Testing Location	Nashville Knoxville

Laboratory Reporting

Reporting requirements apply to all laboratories located within Tennessee, as well as laboratories outside of Tennessee that test residents of Tennessee, including laboratories located within healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers and laboratories in the same healthcare facility both have a duty to report. The type of organisms and analytes laboratories must report to TDH for 2026 are indicated, and there are several ways laboratories can report results to TDH.

Manually report results to TDH by faxing or mailing a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department, or faxing to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
Automatically submit results to TDH via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), which automates the process of sharing data with TDH using interoperability standards.
- See the ELR Onboarding Handbook for details on the onboarding process, checklist, frequently asked questions, business rules, message format, and vocabulary.
- To initiate the ELR onboarding process with TDH, register in the Trading Partner Registration (TPR) system TPR provides documentation for Promoting Interoperability (PI) attestation and milestone letters to document onboarding progress. Contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Learn More

2026 Hepatitis B and C Reporting FAQs

Information about this Reportable Disease for Healthcare Providers

Clinical Summary

A liver infection caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), which can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-standing).
It spreads via infected blood, semen, or other body fluids, and from mother to baby at birth.
Many people have no symptoms, but when present they include tiredness, dark urine, jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), nausea and stomach pain.
Treatment includes monitoring and sometimes antiviral medication for chronic cases; prevention is through vaccination.

Clinical Links & Info

Clinical information about this disease | CDC

Review the case definition | CDC

Access the case report form (2019) | TDH

2026 Hepatitis B and C Reporting FAQs

Healthcare Provider Reporting

Healthcare reporting requirements apply to all providers located within Tennessee, as well as providers whose patients reside in Tennessee.

Providers must report cases of all diseases and conditions listed through one of these methods:

• Mail or fax a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department or fax to the state health office at (615) 741-3857

• Send automatically via electronic case reporting (eCR). See this TDH webpage for more information on eCR, register at the Trader Partner Registration website, or contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.

• Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.

• Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Information about this Reportable Disease for the Public

What It Is

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver. It can be short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). The virus spreads through blood, body fluids, or from mother to child. It can lead to liver damage if untreated.

Types

Acute Hepatitis B: Short-lasting, may clear on its own.
Chronic Hepatitis B: Long-lasting, can cause cirrhosis or cancer.
Carrier State: Virus present without symptoms.
Type depends on immune response.

Signs and Symptoms

Fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, and nausea.
Dark urine, clay-colored stool, and jaundice (yellow skin/eyes).
Abdominal pain and joint aches.
Some people show no symptoms.

Treatment

Acute cases often need rest and fluids.
Chronic cases may need antiviral medicines.
Regular liver monitoring is important.
Vaccination prevents infection.

This Page Last Updated: March 25, 2026 at 8:53 PM