| SIGNS & SYMPTOMS |
80% of persons have no signs or symptoms. |
- jaundice
- fatigue
- dark urine
|
- abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- nausea
|
| CAUSE |
|
| LONG-TERM EFFECTS |
- Chronic infection: 75-85% of infected persons
- Chronic liver disease: 70% of chronically infected persons
- Deaths from chronic liver disease: <3%
- Leading indication for liver transplant
|
| TRANSMISSION
Recommendations for testing based on risk for HCV
infection |
Occurs when blood or body fluids from an
infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected.
HCV is spread through sharing needles or
"works" when "shooting" drugs, through needle sticks or sharps
exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth.
Persons at risk for HCV infection might also be at risk
for infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HIV.
Recommendations for Testing Based on Risk for HCV
Infection
| PERSONS |
RISK OF INFECTION |
TESTING RECOMMENDED? |
| Injecting drug users |
High |
Yes |
| Recipients of clotting factors made before 1987 |
High |
Yes |
| Hemodialysis patients |
Intermediate |
Yes |
| Recipients of blood and/or solid organs before 1992 |
Intermediate |
Yes |
| People with undiagnosed liver problems |
Intermediate |
Yes |
| Infants born to infected mothers |
Intermediate |
After 12-18 mos. old |
| Healthcare/public safety workers |
Low |
Only after known exposure** |
| People having sex with multiple partners |
Low |
No* |
| People having sex with an infected steady partner |
Low |
No* |
*Anyone who wants to get tested should ask their doctor.
** View current
post-exposure prophylaxis recommendations.
|
| PREVENTION |
- There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C.
- Do not shoot drugs; if you shoot drugs, stop and get into
a treatment program; if you can't stop, never share needles, syringes, water, or
"works", and get vaccinated against hepatitis A & B.
- Do not share personal care items that might have blood on
them (razors, toothbrushes).
- If you are a health care or public safety worker, always
follow routine barrier precautions and safely handle needles and other sharps; get
vaccinated against hepatitis B. (View current
post-exposure prophylaxis recommendations.)
- Consider the risks if you are thinking about getting a
tattoo or body piercing. You might get infected if the tools have someone else's blood on
them or if the artist or piercer does not follow good health practices.
- HCV can be spread by sex, but this is rare. If you are
having sex with more than one steady sex partner, use latex condoms* correctly and every
time to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. You should also get
vaccinated against hepatitis B.
- If you are HCV positive, do not donate
blood, organs, or tissue.
|
| TREATMENT & MEDICAL MANAGEMENT National Institutes of Health fact sheet on treatment
|
- HCV positive persons should be evaluated by their doctor
for liver disease.
- Interferon and ribavirin are two drugs licensed for the
treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis C.
- Interferon can be taken alone or in combination with
ribavirin. Combination therapy is currently the treatment of choice.
- Combination therapy, using pegylated interferon and
ribavirin, can get rid of the virus in up to40% of those with genotype 1 and up to 80% for
those with genotype 2 or 3.
- Drinking alcohol can make your liver disease worse.
|
| STATISTICS & TRENDS |
- Number of new infections per year has declined from an
average of 240,000 in the 1980s to about 25,000 in 2001.
- Most infections are due to illegal injection drug use.
- Transfusion-associated cases occurred prior to blood donor
screening; now occurs in less than one per million transfused unit of blood.
- Estimated 3.9 million (1.8%) Americans have been infected
with HCV, of whom 2.7 million are chronically infected.
|
