HCV is a hepatotropic, noncytopathic, predominantly blood borne virus with greater infectivity than the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).Hepatitis C is a viral infection that primarily affects the liver. It’s a significant public health concern worldwide, often referred to as a “silent epidemic” because it can lead to severe liver damage without causing noticeable symptoms for years. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the causes, symptoms, and prevention measures for Hepatitis C to help you understand this disease better.
How does a person get hepatitis C virus ?
Hepatitis C is caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). The primary mode of transmission is through exposure to infected blood. Here are some common ways HCV is transmitted:
- Injection Drug Use: Sharing needles or syringes with an infected person is one of the most common ways HCV is transmitted.
- Unsafe Medical Practices: Inadequate sterilization of medical equipment or reuse of needles and syringes can lead to transmission.
- Blood Transfusions and Organ Transplants (before 1992): Although rare today due to stringent screening protocols, HCV was previously transmitted through blood and organ donations.
- Mother-to-Child Transmission: Infants born to mothers with HCV can contract the virus during childbirth.
- Tattoos and Body Piercings: If equipment is not properly sterilized, there is a risk of transmission.
- Sexual Contact: While less common, sexual transmission can occur, particularly among individuals with multiple sexual partners and those who engage in rough sexual practices that may lead to bleeding.
Although these methods of transmission are less frequent, HCV can be transmitted from an infected mother to her unborn child and through sexual behaviours that expose people to blood (such as those who have several sexual partners and men who have sex with men).
IS Hepatitis C lethal?
Hepatitis C can cause liver failure and death if left untreated.
Symptoms
The majority of patients remain asymptomatic and so are often unaware of the infection or the timing of when they contracted the virus
- yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- dark urine
- feeling very tired
- nausea
- vomiting
- pain in the abdomen.
Diagnosis
- Liver biopsy : The gold standard in establishing a diagnosis and assessing the severity of chronic liver disease.
- Imaging techniques : Ultrasound is a non-invasive, low-risk procedure that is pivotal in the preliminary assessment of liver disease as it assesses the size, shape and texture of the liver and screens for dilatation of the biliary tract.
- Biochemical tests (LFTs): Biochemical liver function tests (LFTs) are simple, inexpensive and easy to perform but usually cannot be used in isolation to make a diagnosis.
- Serological test: People who have been infected with the virus can be identified by a serological test that looks for anti-HCV antibodies.
- A nucleic acid test for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) is required to confirm chronic infection if the anti-HCV antibody test is positive.
Is HCV CURABLE?
With 8–12 weeks of oral medication, about 90% of those with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can be cured of their infection, regardless of their HCV genotype.
Prevention
There is no vaccine for HCV
Treatment
- Ribavirin (Copegus and Rebetol)
- Combination therapy : Combination drugs tend to be effective for most or all hepatitis C genotypes.
- Sofosbuvir and velpatasvir (Epclusa):Dosage is fixed at 400 milligrams (mg) of sofosbuvir and 100 mg of velpatasvir once a day with or without food for 12 weeks.
- Sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir (Vosevi):Dosage is fixed at 400 mg of sofosbuvir, 100 mg of velpatasvir, and 100 mg of voxilaprevir once per day with food for 12 weeks.
- Glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (Mavyret): Dosage is a fixed dose of 100 mg of glecaprevir and 40 mg of pibrentasvir, taken as three oral tablets daily with food.Treatment lasts for eight, twelve, or sixteen weeks, depending on the genotype.
