1. What is Hepatitis C (HCV)?
2. How do you get Hepatitis C?
3. How do you know that you have Hepatitis C?
4. Can you give it to someone else?
5. What are the symptoms of HCV?
6. How long does it take for symptoms to appear?
7. How do you treat HCV?
8. What are the common long-term effects of chronic HCV?

VA Hepatitis C Resource Centers

Dallas VAMC Liver Team

1.  What is Hepatitis C (HCV)?

• HCV is a viral disease that affects the liver.

• According to government estimates, approximately 4 million people in the U.S. have been infected with HCV. 

• HCV causes inflammation of the liver

• HCV was discovered in 1988; however, it was not until 1992 that an adequate antibody test was implemented nationwide.

• HCV is a very slowly progressing disease, that may take 20-30 years to cause serious liver damage in some people.

2.  How do you get Hepatitis C?

• You most likely got HCV when you came into contact with the blood of another infected person.

• Some of the ways this might have happened include:

  • You had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992.

  • You had a clotting factor problem, and were given a blood product before 1987.

  • You used a contaminated needle to inject drugs, like heroin or cocaine, only if it was only once, many years ago.

  • You may have snorted cocaine through an infected straw.

  • You were on long-term kidney dialysis.

  • You were a health care worker and had contact with blood in the workplace, especially through needle stick injuries.

  • Your mother had HCV when she gave birth to you.

  • You had sex with a person infected with HCV or had many sex partners.  While the risk of getting HCV by having sex is low, it is still possible.

  • You shared an infected razor, needle, toothbrush, or nail files.

  • You may have had a tattoo, body piercing, or acupuncture through the use of infected equipment.

3.  How do you know that you have Hepatitis C?

• The hepatitis virus can be determined by a simple and specific blood test that detects antibodies against HCV.

• The antibody is insufficient to provide immunity and the test does not distinguish between acute or chronic infection

• If the first test is positive, a second test should be done to confirm the diagnosis and exclude lab error.

• The current enzyme immunoassay test, or EIA, that detects the HCV antibody has a sensitivity of about 95% in chronic HCV.

4.  Can you give it to someone else?

• HCV is spread mainly through blood.

• You cannot give HCV to someone else by sneezing, coughing, kissing, hugging, or holding hands, or by sharing eating utensils, drinking glasses, food or water.

• You cannot give HCV to your baby by breast-feeding.

• To protect others from HCV, follow these simple rules:

• Do not let anyone else use your razor, toothbrush, or other personal care items.

• Cover open cuts or sores on your skin with a bandage until they heal.

• If you do IV drugs, talk with your doctor about trying to stop.  If you cannot stop, never share your needles or paraphernalia with anyone else, including straws for snorting drugs.

• Practice safe sex.  While it is difficult to transmit HCV in most sexual situations, it is not impossible.  Use a condom especially if you have sex with more than one person

• Clean up spilled blood with household bleach.  Wear gloves when touching blood.

5.  What are the symptoms of HCV?

• The symptoms of HCV infection are usually very mild.  In fact, most people do not have symptoms and are leading normal lives.

• If symptoms are present, they may be very mild and flu-like: nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, headaches, and abdominal discomfort.

6.  How long does it take for symptoms to appear?

• The incubation period varies from 2-26 weeks.

• Liver enzyme tests may range from being elevated to being normal, for weeks to as long as a year.

• The virus is in the blood and may be causing liver cell damage, and the infected person can transmit the disease to others.

• You may not experience any symptoms.

7.  How do you treat HCV?

• Interferon  is a protein that the body makes to fight infections.  Interferon, used as a treatment, increases the amount of interferon in the body.  Interferon can only be given as a shot.   There are different types of interferon used to treat Hepatitis C.  Most commonly, pegylated interferon is the drug of choice.  It is a long acting interferon, given once a week.

• Ribavirin is a medicine that fights certain viruses.  It comes in a capsule form. and should be taken with food.

8.  What are the common long-term effects of chronic HCV?

• Fatigue and general malaise are the most common long-term effects.

• One out of five will develop chronic active hepatitis.  Of those five, 5-20% will progress to cirrhosis.  A very small percent will develop hepatocellular cancer.