Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver which was once known as non-A non-B hepatitis. About 150,000 to 170,000 new cases of hepatitis C occur each year in the United States.

Hepatitis C occurs most often in people who have received a blood transfusion, are on hemodialysis, have shared needles during drug use, or are health care workers exposed to infected blood. However, many people who have hepatitis C have not had any of these exposures.

The hepatitis C virus is spread in much the same way that hepatitis B is spread, through blood and body fluids of an infected person. For this reason, it is seen in people who have received a blood transfusion, have shared needles during drug use, or have jobs which frequently expose them to blood. Based on evidence to date, it appears that the sexual spread of HCV is very uncommon. It is also uncommon for HCV to be passed from a pregnant woman to her newborn child. How patients acquired hepatitis C is unknown in 40% of cases.

Some people have loss of appetite, tiredness, nausea and vomiting, vague stomach pain and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes). Many people do not have any symptoms.

A person with hepatitis C is contagious from one or two weeks before symptoms appear and during the entire time the person is ill. A large percentage of those who have hepatitis C will become chronic carriers. Until more is learned about this disease, all persons who have been diagnosed as having hepatitis C should be considered infectious (able to pass the hepatitis C virus through their blood and body fluids).

There are no special medicines or antibiotics that can be used to treat people with acute hepatitis C. However, treatment options do exist for patients with chronic disease. It is important to get plenty of rest, eat small frequent meals and avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and using drugs.

In 1990, a screening test was licensed to test blood donated for transfusion The number of hepatitis C cases caused by blood transfusions has dropped considerably since that time.

A physician must examine the patient and perform liver function tests and tests to eliminate hepatitis A and B as the cause of illness. There is a test which can tell if someone is chronically infected or has had hepatitis C in the past. A test to detect virus in the blood is also available.

People who have had hepatitis C should be aware that their blood and other body fluids may be infectious. Care should be taken to avoid blood exposure to others; do not share toothbrushes, razors and needles. In addition, infected people must not donate blood and should inform their dental or medical care providers so that proper precautions can be followed. People with hepatitis C should tell their sex partners they have the disease. Proper use of latex condoms may lessen the risk of infecting a sex partner.

October, 1997