Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by a virus, HCV*. Over 50% of people are infected with hepatitis C infection and carry the virus the rest of their lives. Some asymptomatic persons can transmit the virus without knowing it and feel the symptoms until 20 years later. The virus is contracted through contaminated blood.
The first symptoms appear 6 to 9 weeks after exposure, sometimes after two weeks. The person may experience fever, nausea, upset stomach, fatigue. Jaundice may be a symptom of hepatitis C.
Infection with HCV can cause long-term, liver cirrhosis and, rarely, cancer of the liver.
The disease can be transmitted through blood transfusions (very rare) or by the use of dirty needles among drug addicts, tattooists or when in a piercing. Using a razor or a toothbrush from an infected person is also a risk of infection.
It is unusual for the mother to transmit HCV to the baby born.
Health professionals are regularly exposed to risk and should adopt safe practices: gloves, mask and apron so as to protect against splashes of blood.
Hepatitis C can be diagnosed by blood tests. It is sometimes necessary to perform a biopsy of the liver in order to know the importance of the infection.
There is no medicine against the virus of hepatitis C, but the doctor may prescribe medicines to relieve its effects. In severe cases, a liver transplant is necessary.
* HCV: Hepatitis C virus29 avril 2010
| The text above is for information purposes only. Only a doctor can diagnose a disease. No treatment (medication or scheme) should be undertaken without consulting a health professional. |