Hepatitis C Virus

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is found in the blood of persons who have this disease. HCV is spread by contact with the blood of an infected person.

Most people who get hepatitis C have no symptoms at all, but those who do might experience:

• Fatigue
• Muscle and joint aches
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal discomfort
• Dark urine or light-colored stool
• Jaundice (yellowing of skin or eyes)

• Injection drug use accounts for more than two-thirds of all new infections in the United States.
  
• HCV can be spread by sex, but this is rarer. 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.

• 55-85 of persons might develop long-term infection
  
• 70 persons might develop chronic liver disease
  
• 5-20 persons might develop cirrhosis over a period of 20 to 30 years
  
• 1-5 of persons might die from the consequences of long term infection (liver cancer or cirrhosis)
  
• Hepatitis C can lead to the need for a liver transplant.

• 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, using pegylated interferon and ribavirin, is currently the treatment of choice.
  
• Combination therapy can get rid of the virus in up to 5 out of 10 persons for genotype 1 and in up to 8 out of 10 persons for genotype 2 and 3.
  
• Drinking alcohol can make your liver disease worse.