Hepatitis C

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Nausea or poor appetite
• Muscle and joint pains
• Tenderness in the area of your liver

Causes

Hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). HCV is spread when you come in contact with contaminated blood.

Examples of how HCV can be spread include:

• Blood transfusions and organ transplants before 1992. Improved blood-screening tests became available in 1992. Before that year, it was possible to unknowingly contract hepatitis C through a blood transfusion or organ transplant.
• Shared needles. HCV can also spread through sharing contaminated needles when injecting drugs.
• Childbirth. A small number of babies born to mothers with hepatitis C acquire the infection during childbirth.
• Sexual contact. In rare cases, HCV may be transmitted sexually.

Risk factors

Your risk of hepatitis C infection is increased if you:

• Are a health care worker who has been exposed to infected blood
• Have ever injected illicit drugs
• Are HIV-positive
• Received a piercing or tattoo in an unclean environment using unsterile equipment
• Received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992
• Received clotting factor concentrates before 1987
• Received hemodialysis treatments for a long period of time
• Were born to a woman with a hepatitis C infection

Complications

Hepatitis C infection that continues over many years can cause significant complications, such as:

• Scarring of the liver tissue (cirrhosis). After 20 to 30 years of hepatitis C infection, cirrhosis may occur. Scarring in your liver makes it difficult for your liver to function.
• Liver cancer. A small number of people with hepatitis C infection may develop liver cancer.
• Liver failure. A liver that is severely damaged by hepatitis C may be unable to function.

Diagnosis

Screening healthy people for hepatitis C

Testing for hepatitis C infection in people who have a high risk of coming in contact with the virus may help doctors begin treatment or recommend lifestyle changes that may slow liver damage. This is recommended because hepatitis C infection often begins damaging the liver before it causes signs and symptoms.

People who may want to talk to their doctors about screening for hepatitis C infection include:

• Anyone who has ever injected illicit drugs
• Anyone with unexplained, unusual liver function tests
• Babies born to mothers with hepatitis C
• Health care and emergency workers who have been exposed to blood or accidental needle sticks
• People with hemophilia who were treated with clotting factors before 1987
• People who have ever undergone long-term hemodialysis treatments
• People who received blood transfusions or organ transplants before 1992
• Sexual partners of anyone diagnosed with hepatitis C infection

Blood tests to diagnose hepatitis C

Blood tests may help to:

• Determine whether you have the hepatitis C virus
• Measure the quantity of the hepatitis C virus in your blood (viral load)
• Evaluate the genetic makeup of the virus (genotyping), which helps determine your treatment options

Testing samples of liver tissue to determine severity of liver damage

Your doctor may also recommend a procedure to remove a small sample of liver tissue for laboratory testing. A liver biopsy can help determine the severity of the disease and guide treatment decisions. During a liver biopsy, your doctor inserts a thin needle through your skin and into your liver to remove the tissue sample. 

References:

http://www.who.int/features/qa/76/en/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145869.php

http://www.healthline.com/health/hepatitis

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitis.html

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm