Hepatitis C

What Is It?

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can inflame and damage the liver. The hepatitis C virus usually is transmitted through contact with infected blood, most commonly by sharing needles during intravenous drug use. The disease also can be spread:

• On shared straws or other devices used to snort cocaine

• Through unprotected sexual intercourse, but this is uncommon

• To a health care worker through an accidental stick with a contaminated needle

• Through blood transfusion - Before 1992, people who received blood transfusions were at significant risk of developing hepatitis C, but because blood screening techniques have improved, the chance of catching the infection through contaminated blood transfusion has decreased to about one in 100,000.

• On infected tattoo or body piercing equipment

Once someone has been exposed to the hepatitis C virus, it usually takes one to three weeks before the virus can be detected in his or her blood.

Up to 80% of people who develop short-term (acute) hepatitis C develop long-term (chronic) hepatitis C. Most of these people, however, don't know that they have this infection because hepatitis C usually does not cause symptoms. After having this silent infection for 20 to 30 years, about 30% of people develop cirrhosis, a serious liver disease that can lead to death. A smaller percentage of people with long-term hepatitis C develop liver cancer. About 10,000 people in the United States die from complications of hepatitis C each year.

Symptoms

Many people with hepatitis C do not have any symptoms. However, about 30% of infected people develop symptoms, including:

• A general sick feeling (malaise)

• A yellowish discoloration of the skin (jaundice)

• Weakness

• Poor appetite

• Fatigue

Less than 20% of people who become infected with hepatitis C are able to rid their bodies of the virus completely. These people rarely suffer any long-term consequences of the disease.

About 30% of people with long-term hepatitis C will develop general symptoms, such as weight loss, a poor appetite, fatigue and aching joints. Most people, however, do not have any symptoms for 20 to 30 years after they contract the infection, even though the virus slowly damages their livers. Unless they are tested for hepatitis C, many of these people do not know that they are infected until they develop the symptoms of advanced liver disease.