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| Hepatitis C (infectious liver inflammation type C) |
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Reviewed by Dr Janice Main, senior lecturer and honorary consultant physician in
infectious diseases and general medicine
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What is type C hepatitis?
Hepatitis is the Latin word for liver inflammation. Type C
hepatitis is caused by a
virus called
hepatitis C virus. It was previously referred to as non-A-non-B hepatitis.
Other types of viral hepatitis include
hepatitis A, and
hepatitis B.
What causes type C hepatitis?
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Through contact with an infected person's blood.
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Through sexual contact, but the risk is very small.
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Transmission from mother to child is rare.
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The virus can be contracted by accidental pricking with a
contaminated needle - this mainly concerns healthcare workers.
Type C hepatitis is common in intravenous drug users due to
their sharing of contaminated needles. It is also seen in haemophiliacs and
people who have had blood transfusions or treatment with blood products. Since
1991 all blood has been tested for type C hepatitis and the risk of
transmission through blood is now insignificant.
About one third of all cases of type C hepatitis come from an
unidentifiable source.
What are the symptoms of type C hepatitis?
The incubation period, from the time of exposure to the virus
until the onset of the disease, is one to six months. Early symptoms include
poor appetite, lack of interest in food, nausea, aching muscles and joints, and
light fever.
Later symptoms include yellowing of skin, mucous membranes, and
white portions of the eyes (jaundice, icterus); light-coloured stools; and dark
urine. Once the late symptoms have developed, in most cases the patient quickly
begins to get better. The disease typically lasts two to eight
weeks.
Only 1 in 10 patients with
acute hepatitis has
symptoms. The remaining nine have no symptoms whatsoever. In 8 out of 10
patients, the infection becomes chronic.
Patients with chronic type C hepatitis may not have any symptoms
at all or experience only mild symptoms such as tiredness, periodical pressure
below the right ribs caused by the enlarging liver, and aching muscles and
joints.
Approximately one third of the patients develop
cirrhosis over a
number of years, which can lead to liver failure and other serious
complications. On average, cirrhosis develops about 20 years after the virus
has been contracted.
How can type C hepatitis be prevented?
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Avoid sharing needles and syringes.
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Avoid sharing razors and toothbrushes with an infected person.
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Unfortunately, there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C virus
infection.
What can be done at home?
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Abstain from all alcohol intake if blood tests have shown that
the disease is active.
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Refrain from drinking alcohol daily if you have chronic type C
hepatitis.
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If you have
chronic hepatitis,
you should be examined regularly by your doctor.
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Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
How is type C hepatitis diagnosed?
The diagnosis is made on the basis of a
blood sample which
will demonstrate the presence of genetic segments from the hepatitis C virus,
or antibodies against the hepatitis C virus in the patient's
blood.
A blood test for liver function can determine the severity of
the disease - to what extent the liver is affected by the virus.
In the case of chronic hepatitis, the severity of the illness
can be assessed through a
tissue sample from
the liver.
Future prospects
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Most patients with acute type C hepatitis have fully recovered
after four to eight weeks.
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Very few patients (1 in 300) develop liver failure in
connection with acute hepatitis and subsequently risk dying from the disease.
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The infection becomes chronic in four out of five patients.
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The most serious complications of chronic type C hepatitis are
cirrhosis and in rare
cases,
liver cancer.
How is type C hepatitis treated?
Chronic type C hepatitis can be treated by a combination of
interferon alfa
injections and ribavirin capsules. Half of the patients will benefit from the
treatment.
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Based on a text by Professor Court Pedersen, consultant and Professor Ove Schaffalitzky de Muckadell, consultant
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Last updated 01.04.2005
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