| 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
-
Cirrhosis: 20% of chronically infected persons
- Deaths
from chronic liver disease: 1%-5% of infected persons may die
- Leading
indication for liver transplant
|
| TRANSMISSION
|
- Occurs
when blood 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 needlesticks or sharps exposures
on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth.
|
| Recommendations
for testing based on risk for HCV infection |
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
age 12-18 mos. |
| 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. |
| 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.
- 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 AASLD
Practice Guideline: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment of
Hepatitis C
|
- 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.
-
Combination
therapy, using pegylated interferon and ribavirin, is currently
the treatment of choice.
- Combination
therapy can get rid of the virus in about 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.
|
| STATISTICS
& TRENDS |
- Estimated number of new infections per
year has declined from an average of 240,000 in the 1980s to
about 19,000 in 2006.
- Most infections are due to
illegal injection drug use.
- Transfusion-associated cases
occurred prior to blood donor screening; now occur in less
than one per 2 million transfused units of blood.
- Estimated 4.1 million (1.6%)
Americans have been infected with HCV, of whom 3.2 million are
chronically infected.
- The
risk for perinatal HCV transmission is about 4%.
- If
coinfected with HIV, the risk for perinatal infection is about
19%.
|
