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What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is an infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
How common is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C infection rates have plateaued in the US after declining between 1992-2003. In the 1980s, about 230,000 new hepatitis C infections occurred every year. In 2008, about 18,000 new hepatitis C infections occurred.1 About 3.2 million Americans are infected with HCV, making it the most common blood-borne disease in the US.2
How is hepatitis C spread?
HCV is usually spread through exposure to blood, but it may be spread through vaginal or anal sex.2Therefore, hepatitis C is more accurately referred to as a sexually transmissible infection.
HCV can also be spread from an infected mother to her baby around the time of birth.3
Does hepatitis C cause symptoms?
Hepatitis C causes very few symptoms, if any, in the period immediately following infection, and about 80% of people with new infections have no symptoms.3 If symptoms do occur soon after HCV infection, it passes unnoticed as many people do not remember having symptoms when they are diagnosed with hepatitis C, years later.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
Those who have symptoms experience flu-like symptoms, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and pain in the upper, right part of their abdomen. Some people will notice jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes.)
Are there any treatments available for hepatitis C?
Treatment is available for hepatitis C. When hepatitis C infection is diagnosed and treated within 6 months of acquiring the infection, the cure rate is very good. Treatment is less successful after the infection becomes chronic. Currently doctors use a combination of oral and injectable medications to treat hepatitis C infection. These medications are successful at clearing chronic infections 54-56% of the time4, but they have significant side effects and expense.3
What complications can result from hepatitis C?
Sometimes the immune system will clear the infection without the infected person ever knowing that they were infected. However, 75 – 85% of these people will develop chronic hepatitis C and about 60-70% will develop chronic liver disease.3,6
In chronic hepatitis C, HCV stays in the body and causes damage to the liver. Up to 20% of people with chronic hepatitis C develop cirrhosis. 1-5% with chronic hepatitis C will die of liver disease.3,6 Because the severe liver damage caused by untreated chronic hepatitis C is irreversible and life-threatening, liver transplantation is the only option for many infected people. Hepatitis C is the most common reason for liver transplantation in the US.5
Hepatitis C can also be spread to a baby from a pregnant mother. About 6% of babies born to infected mothers will become infected.6
Can hepatitis C be prevented?
Yes. Sexual transmission can be prevented by refraining from sexual activity until a person is in a lifelong, faithful relationship with an uninfected partner.
Transmission from blood can be prevented by eliminating exposure to blood from infected individuals.
Unlike hepatitis B, no vaccine is available to prevent infection with HCV.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. Division of Viral Hepatitis. U.S. Disease Burden Data, 1980 — 2008. Available at:http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/PDFs/disease_burden.pdf. Accessed December 27, 2011.
2. Armstrong GL, Wasley AM, Simard EP, McQuillan GM, Kuhnert WL, Alter MJ. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, 1999 through 2002. Ann Intern Med 2006;144:705–714.
3. Thomas DL, Ray SC, Lemon SM. Hepatitis C. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2005:1950-1981.
4. Dienstag JL, McHutchison JG. American Gastroenterological Association medical position statement on the management of hepatitis C. Gastroenterology. 2006;130(1):225-230.
5. Kuo A, Terrault NA. Management of hepatitis C in liver transplant recipients. Am J Transplant. 2006;6(3):449-458.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2010.MMWR 2010;59(RR-11):1-116. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/2010/STD-Treatment-2010-RR5912.pdf. Accessed December 27, 2011.
Article from www.medinstitute.org
