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Hepatitis C is an infection caused by the hepatitis C virus, which is carried in the blood. This virus can cause liver disease, including cirrhosis and cancer.
PDF Hepatitis C Fact Sheet is available through Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
How you could become infected:
You are at risk of hepatitis C infection if you share blood. For instance:
- Sharing used needles or syringes (for steroid, prescription or street drug use)
- Sharing other drug-using equipment such as cookers, cotton, crack cocaine and water pipes (even if you only shared them once or briefly)
- Sharing straws, bills or other utensils used for snorting cocaine or other drugs
- Receiving a blood transfusion or blood products (especially before 1992)
- Needle-stick injuries
- Tattooing, piercing or acupuncture with equipment that may have been improperly sterilized
- Held a job that exposed you to blood (health care providers, police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, etc.)
- Been a war veteran
Lower risks of infection:
- Sexual activity that includes contact with blood or exchange of blood
- An expectant mother carrying the hepatitis C virus can infect her unborn baby
- Sharing razors, toothbrushes, tweezers, manicure or pedicure equipment (such as nail clippers)
Click here to view the expert opinion regarding the transmission of Heptatis C (HCV) by Dr. Erb
How to protect yourself from infection:
- Do not share needles or drug-using equipment
- Do not share personal items such as razors, toothbrushes, tweezers, manicure or pedicure equipment
- Wear protective gloves if you are likely to be in contact with someone else’s blood
- Avoid blood-to-blood contact during sexual activity
- If you are getting a tattoo or piercing, make sure that:
- the service you choose is regulated or inspected
- the needle is single-use disposable and has never been used (if you’re getting acupuncture, make sure the needles are sterile)
- all other equipment is sterile
How the hepatitis C virus can affect you:
Without treatment, over 80 percent of hepatitis C infections progress to chronic hepatitis C, a disease that attacks your liver. After 10 to 20 years, chronic hepatitis C can cause cirrhosis. After 20 to 40 years it can cause liver cancer.
Symptoms of HCV and Disease Progression:
After infection with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) there is an incubation period that usually lasts 2 to 26 weeks. This initial phase of HCV disease is called the acute infection. Many people with acute HCV have no symptoms. Others may experience a flu-like illness, nausea, fatigue, fever, headaches, loss of appetite, jaundice and abdominal or muscle/joint pain. Accute HCV usually resolves after 2 to 12 weeks.
A majority of people do not clear the Hepatitis C virus from their bodies and go on to develop chronic Hepatitis C. Most people with chronic HCV do not have symptoms. Others experience symptoms similar to those of acute HCV, but with more prolonged fatigue. In the majority of people, HCV progresses slowly, over the course of 10 to 30 years or more.
Over a period of many years, even decades, approximately 10 to 20 percent of the people with chronic HCV infection may experience more serious liver disease or damage including the development of fibrous tissue in the liver (fibrosis), fat deposits in the liver (steatosis), and cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a process in which liver cells are damaged or killed and replaced with scar tissue. Extensive scar tissue formation impairs the flow of blood through the liver causing more liver cell death and a loss of liver function.
In people with compensated cirrhosis, the liver is heavily scarred but can still perform most functions. People with compensated cirrhosis exhibit few or no symptoms.
Symptoms Reported by People with HCV
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| Acute Hepatits C |
Chronic Hepatitis C |
Late Stage Hepatitis C with Cirrhosis |
- Flu-like illness
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Jaundice
- Indigestion
- Headaches
- Muscle or joint pain
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal bloating
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- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Indigestion
- Headaches
- Muscle of joint pain
- Abdominal pain
- Depression
- Mood swings
- "Brain fog"
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- Fatigue
- Fever
- Loss of Appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fluid retention
- Frequent urination
- Jaundice
- Indigestion
- Headaches
- Muscle or joint pain
- Abdominal pain
- Abdominal bloating
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Lack of concentration
- Mental confusion
- Dizziness
- Peripheral vision problems
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See your health care provider if you believe you may have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus.
Conditions linked to HCV:
A number of different conditions have been associated with HCV. Conditions sometimes seen in people with chronic HCV include Sjogren's Syndrome (characterized by dry eyes and mouth), kidney conditions such as glomerulonephritis, and skin conditions such as lichen plantus (characterized by a sun-sensitive rash). Other related conditions include certain types of arthritis (joint inflammation), arthralgia (joint pain), thyroid disease, vasculitis (blood vessel damage), and cryglobulimenmia (high levels of blood protein that settles in the kidneys, skin, and nerve endings).
Most serious conditions are associated with late-stage HCV disease, when the liver is damaged and not able to function properly. Many people with HCV never experience any of these conditions. Check with your health care provider if you experience any unusual symptoms.
How hepatitis C is detected:
If you believe you may have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus, ask your health care provider to test you. If the results show that you have the hepatitis C virus in your blood, your health care provider may order a second test to confirm it.
What blood tests are available to check for hepatitis C:
There are several blood tests that can be done to determine if you have been infected with HCV. Your doctor may order just one or a combination of these tests. The following are the types of tests your doctor may order and the purpose for each:
(a) Anti-HCV (antibody to HCV)
EIA (enzyme immunoassay) or CIA (enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay)
Test is usually done first. If positive, it should be confirmed
RIBA (recombinant immunoblot assay)
A supplemental test used to confirm a positive EIA test
Anti-HCV does not tell whether the infection is new (acute), chronic (long-term) or is no longer present.
(b) Qualitative tests to detect presence or absence of virus (HCV RNA)
(c) Quantitative tests to detect amount (titer) of virus (HCV RNA)
Treatment:
There are effective treatments for hepatitis C. Your health care provider will discuss with you what treatment is available and assess whether it is appropriate for you. See Treatment section for additional information.
How to maintain your health if you have hepatitis C:
Get plenty of rest and avoid alcohol. Even moderate amounts of alcohol will speed up the progression of the disease and reduce the effectiveness of treatment drugs. You should also talk to your health care provider about hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccinations. There is no vaccination against hepatitis C.
How to avoid infecting others if you have hepatitis C:
- Do not donate blood, organs for transplants or semen for artificial insemination
- Do not share razors, toothbrushes, tweezers, manicure or pedicure equipment
- If you use drugs, do not share needles or other drug-related equipment
- Always remember to tell health care providers about your condition if it is possible that they may be exposed to your blood
- Avoid blood-to-blood contact during sexual activity
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