Hepatitis C

What is hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver. It results from infection with the hepatitis C virus, which is spread primarily through contact with the blood of an infected person.

Hepatitis C can be either acute or chronic.

Acute hepatitis C virus infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis C virus.

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is a long-term illness that occurs when the hepatitis C virus remains in a person’s body. It can last a lifetime and lead to serious liver problems, including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or liver cancer.  

What is the difference between hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C? 

Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are diseases caused by three different viruses. Although each can cause similar symptoms, they have different modes of transmission and can affect the liver differently.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?

Approximately 70–80 percent of people with acute hepatitis C do not have any symptoms. Some people, however, can have mild to severe symptoms soon after being infected, including

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored bowel movements
• Joint pain
• Jaundice (yellow color in the skin or eyes)

How is hepatitis C spread?

Hepatitis C is spread when blood from a person infected with the hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected.  

People can become infected with the hepatitis C virus during such activities as

• Sharing needles, syringes, or other equipment to inject drugs  (most common)
• Getting a tattoo or body piercing in unregulated settings or in settings where infection control standards
• Needlestick injuries in health care settings
• Being born to a mother who has hepatitis C

Less commonly, a person can also get hepatitis C virus infection through

• Sharing personal care items that may have come in contact with another person’s blood, such as razors or toothbrushes
• Having unprotected sexual contact with a person infected with the hepatitis C virus

If I’ve been exposed to hepatitis C, how long will it take for symptoms to develop?

Many people infected with the hepatitis C virus do not develop symptoms. But, if symptoms occur, the average time is six to seven weeks after exposure. 

Even if a person with hepatitis C has no symptoms, he or she can still spread the virus to others. Many people who are infected with the hepatitis C virus do not know they are infected because they do not look or feel sick.

What treatments are available for hepatitis C? How serious is the disease?

There is no medication available to treat acute hepatitis C infection. Doctors usually recommend rest, adequate nutrition and fluids. 

Chronic hepatitis C is a serious disease that can result in long-term health problems, including liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer, or even death. It is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States. 

Approximately 15,000 people die every year from hepatitis C related liver disease.

How is hepatitis C diagnosed? 

The only way to know if you are infected with hepatitis C, are recovering, or are a chronic carrier is by having a blood test. Your doctor may be able to test for hepatitis C.

Who should get tested for hepatitis C?

Talk to your doctor about being tested for hepatitis C if any of the following are true:

• You are a current or former injection drug user, even if you injected only one time or many years ago
• You were treated for a blood clotting problem before 1987
• You received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before July 1992
• You are on long-term hemodialysis treatment
• You have abnormal liver tests or liver disease
• You work in health care or public safety and were exposed to blood through a needlestick or other sharp object injury.
• You are infected with HIV

How many cases of hepatitis C have been reported in Northern Kentucky?

Since 2010, cases have increased by more than 80 percent in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton Counties, with 23 cases reported in 2010, 42 cases in 2011 and 12 in the first quarter of 2012.

In Northern Kentucky, about 6 out of 100,000 people are infected with hepatitis C, a rate that is double that of Kentucky (about 3 out of 100,000) and six times that of the U.S. (less than one case per 100,000 people).

Where can I get more information on hepatitis C?

For more information online, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/cFAQ.htm