Student Health Center

Hepatitis C

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What is Hepatitis C
How is it Transmitted
Who is at Risk
What if you are infected?
Treatment

What is Hepatitis C?

The Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is an RNA virus that invades the body and attacks the liver.  HCV is often called the "Silent Killer" because it rarely causes any symptoms until the late stages of cirrhosis or liver cancer.  There is no cure for Hepatitis C, but there is a treatment.

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How is it transmitted?

HCV is found in blood and certain body fluids. It is spread when blood or fluids from an infected person enters another person's body. HCV is spread through sharing needles or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needle-sticks or sharps exposures on the job, or sometimes from an infected mother to her baby during birth. It is possible to transmit HCV from sex, but it is not common

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Who is at risk?

• IV drug users
• recipients of blood, clotting factor or solid organs before 1987
• hemodialysis patients
• infants born to infected mothers
• healthcare and public safety workers

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What if you are infected?

Incubation period: 14 to 180 days, average 45 days

Of every 100 persons infected with HCV, about:

• 75-85 persons might develop long-term infection
• 60-70 persons might develop chronic liver disease
• 5-20 persons might develop cirrhosis over a period of 20 to 30 years
• 1-5 persons might die from the consequences of long-term infection (liver cancer or cirrhosis)

Chronic liver disease:  70% of chronically infected persons. In the U.S., 8-10,000 people die each year from HCV. People who have chronic HCV infection have a much higher risk of liver failure (cirrhosis) and liver cancer. Chronic HCV-related liver disease is the leading indication for liver transplant.

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Treatment

A referral to or consultation with a specialist for further evaluation and possible treatment may be considered if a person is anti-HCV positive and has elevated liver enzyme levels. Any physician who manages a person with hepatitis C should be knowledgeable and current on all aspects of the care of a person with hepatitis C.

Combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is the treatment of choice resulting in sustained response rates of 40%-80%. (up to 50% for patients infected with the most common genotype found in the U.S. [genotype 1] and up to 80% for patients infected with genotypes 2 or 3). Interferon monotherapy is generally reserved for patients in whom ribavirin is contraindicated. Ribavirin, when used alone, does not work. Combination therapy using interferon and ribavirin is now FDA approved for the use in children aged 3-17 years.

The best treatment currently available is only about 40% successful.  It is a two drug combination of an injection, usually given weekly and pills that are taken daily.