Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The hepatitis C virus, or HCV, is transmitted through the blood of an infected person to another person. Patients may be symptom-free for years. If the patient does experience symptoms they will generally be mild and flu-like including fatigue, fever, nausea, poor appetite, muscle and joint pains, and tenderness in the area of the liver.
In 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 849 cases of confirmed acute hepatitis C were reported in the United States. However, new cases are rarely reported because most patients are symptom-free for years. The CDC reports that approximately 17,000 new HCV infections occurred that year after adjusting for asymptomatic infection and under-reporting. Approximately 15 to 25 percent of patients recover without treatment and do not develop a chronic infection. However, 75 to 85 percent of acute hepatitis C infections become chronic. Most of the 3.2 million patients in the United States with chronic HCV infection were born between 1945 and 1965, and were infected during the 1970's and 1980's when infection rates were at their peak. Sixty to 70 percent of HCV-infected patients develop chronic liver disease. One to five percent will die from liver cancer or cirrhosis related to chronic HCV infection.
Needle Sticks
Hepatitis C is primarily spread through exposure to contaminated blood through the skin. Individuals at high risk for HCV infection include intravenous drug users, dialysis patients, health care workers exposed through accidental needle sticks and clients of piercing or tattoo establishments that do not sterilize their equipment, according to the CDC.
Sporadic Transmission
Approximately 10 percent of acute hepatitis C cases and 30 percent of chronic hepatitis C cases are categorized as sporadic or community-acquired infections because the source is unknown, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). In these instances, the individual may have been exposed to HCV through a wound, cut, or medical procedure.
Transfusion and Transplant
Before 1992, patients receiving blood transfusions or organ transplants could be exposed to infected blood. In 1992, blood screening tests were improved, reducing the risk of transfusing infected blood into patients, according to the CDC. People treated with clotting factors, including anti-hemophilia factor, before 1987 are also at risk.
Mother-to-Child Transmission
Maternal-infant transmission is not common. In fact, according to the NIDDK, less than five percent of infants born to HCV-infected mothers become infected. The disease in newborns is usually mild and free of symptoms. Breast-feeding has not been linked to the spread of HCV.
Other
Sexual contact with an HCV-infected person and sharing personal items---toothbrushes or razors---infrequently transmit the hepatitis C virus. Fewer than five percent of spouses and monogamous sexual partners of hepatitis C patients are infected with HCV, according to the NIDDK, and many of them have other risk factors for contracting the disease. On the other hand, individuals with multiple sex partners should use safe sex practices to protect against the spread of HCV, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
