Introduction

• Hepatitis is the swelling of the liver due to inflammation from a variety of causes (e.g. virus, parasites, alcohol and/ or substance abuse
• Hepatitis C is caused by Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
• It is commonly spread by contact with the blood of an infected person
• It is a contagious disease
• It is both a short-term (acute) and long-term (chronic) disease
• In chronic cases, it can increase your risk of liver failure, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer
• A person who has Hepatitis C can still get other types of viral infections, such as Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• There is NO vaccination for Hepatitis C
• Hepatitis C is potentially curable

Causes

The Hepatitis C virus is caused by the Hepatitis C Virus(HCV). It is a blood-borne disease, meaning it is transmitted by contact with the blood of an infected person. This can be through open wounds and sores, blood transfusions, sharing cutting equipments and syringes with an infected person. It may occasionally be passed through unprotected sex where there’s an exchange of bodily fluids such as semen and vaginal fluid.

Symptoms

Symptoms of Hepatitis C can occur 15 to 150 days after infection with the virus. This is known as the incubation period. The symptoms are pre-dominantly non-existent in majority of infected persons. That is why Hepatitis C can lay dormant in a person for years without any signs of symptoms. If it does occur, the symptoms are usually mild, almost flu-like.

• Jaundice
• Joint pain
• Fatigue
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Headache
• Muscle soreness
• Pain near the liver
• Itchy skin

In severe cases, the symptoms are usually those resulting from liver failure, requiring hospitalization.