Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C
Electron micrograph of hepatitis C virus from cell culture (scale = 50 nanometers)
Classification and external resources
Specialty	Gastroenterology, infectious disease
ICD-10	B17.1, B18.2
ICD-9-CM	070.70,070.4, 070.5
OMIM	609532
DiseasesDB	5783
MedlinePlus	000284
eMedicine	med/993 ped/979
Patient UK	Hepatitis C
MeSH	D006526
[]

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that primarily affects the liver. During the initial infection people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally a fever, dark urine, abdominal pain, and yellow tinged skin occurs. The virus persists in the liver in about 75% to 85% of those initially infected. Early on chronic infection typically has no symptoms. Over many years however, it often leads to liver disease and occasionally cirrhosis. In some cases, those with cirrhosis will develop complications such as liver failure, , or esophageal and gastric varices.

HCV is spread primarily by blood-to-blood contact associated with intravenous drug use, poorly sterilized medical equipment, needlestick injuries in healthcare, and transfusions. Using blood screening, the risk from a transfusion is less than one per two million. It may also be spread from an infected mother to her baby during birth. It is not spread by superficial contact. It is one of five known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E. Diagnosis is by blood testing to look for either antibodies to the virus or its RNA. Testing is recommended in all people who are at risk.

There is no vaccine against hepatitis C. Prevention includes harm reduction efforts among people who use intravenous drugs and testing donated blood. Chronic infection can be cured about 90% of the time with treatments that include the medications sofosbuvir or simeprevir. Previous to this a combination of peginterferon and ribavirin was used which had a cure rate around 50% and greater side effects. Getting access to the newer treatments however can be expensive. Those who develop cirrhosis or liver cancer may require a liver transplant. Hepatitis C is the leading reason for liver transplantation, though the virus usually recurs after transplantation.

...
Wikipedia