
Liver function test results are less generally pronounced than with hepatitis B infection. Symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, jaundice, or dark urine. Less frequent ways that HCV is spread include sex, sharing personal items like razors or toothbrushes, needlestick injuries, and tattoos or piercings outside of a licensed facility. The most common route of transmission is sharing needles or other drug use equipment. How is HCV transmitted?Īll persons with HCV RNA in their blood are considered able to transmit HCV. Treatment is recommended for all people currently living with HCV. Treatments for HCV have significantly improved in the last decade and are more effective, take less time, and have fewer side effects. Cirrhosis is the most common reason for a liver transplant in the US. This can increase the risk of liver cancer. This infection can be cured with direct acting antiviral medications.Ībout 10-20% of people living with HCV will develop scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis. About 75% of those who become infected with HCV will develop a chronic infection.
Persons who are newly infected with HCV may not have symptoms. Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus that impacts the liver.
There is a cure for HCV and treatment is recommended for nearly all persons living with HCV infection. Testing for HCV should include an HCV antibody test that reflexes to an HCV RNA test. CDC recommends testing for everyone 18+. Many people with hepatitis C don’t have any symptoms. How should occupational HCV exposures be handled? Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Information for Health Care Providers (PDF)
Hepatitis c route of transmission pdf#
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have been infected with HCV, of whom 2.7 million have chronic infection. An estimated 3.9 million (1.8 percent) persons in the U.S.Transfusion-associated cases occurred prior to routine HCV screening of blood donors and now occurs at a rate of less than one case per million units of transfused blood.Most new infections are due to illegal injection drug use.declined from an average of 240,000 in the 1980’s to about 30,000 in 2003. The number of new hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections per year in the U.S.Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Information for Health Care Providers