Hepatitis C
Essential facts
Hepatitis C infection is caused by a virus which is
carried in the blood and infects the liver. A blood test for hepatitis C
has only been available since 1990; many people who test positive for
hepatitis C were infected before this. Before specific testing was
available, the condition was known as "non-A non-B hepatitis".
There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C infection.
Transmission
Hepatitis C is spread by contact with infected blood.
This means that injecting drug use may spread the
infection. Other common methods of transmission are tattoos, body piercing
and acupuncture. Some people with hepatitis C were infected through blood
transfusions before testing began.
Hepatitis C is not easily spread by sexual contact.
However, there may be increased risk during menstruation or during anal
intercourse without a condom.
Sometimes hepatitis C infection may be transmitted from
mother to baby.
Household spread of hepatitis C is not common, but
shared razors and toothbrushes may transmit blood (and hepatitis C).
The risk of transmission may be higher when a person has
acute hepatitis C infection.
After being infected:
- the virus may clear from your body
- you may become a healthy carrier
- you may get chronic hepatitis, which can cause liver
damage.
Acute hepatitis C
Most hepatitis C infections do not cause symptoms.
However, acute hepatitis C occurs in a few people
soon after they become infected. It is usually a short illness with
jaundice (skin and eyes turn yellow), nausea and a general feeling of
being unwell.
Most people recover completely from this illness, but
the hepatitis C virus may remain in the body for life.
Chronic hepatitis C
Most people with chronic hepatitis C infection have mild
damage to their liver.
Many have no symptoms. Others have mild symptoms, such
as abdominal discomfort, feeling tired or occasional nausea.
In some people, symptoms are more severe, and the virus
may cause scarring (cirrhosis) of the liver. This seems to be more
common when another cause of liver damage is also present (e.g. alcohol,
hepatitis B, hepatitis A). Cirrhosis usually develops many years to
develop after the initial infection with hepatitis C.
Treatment
Treatment is available for some people with chronic
hepatitis C. There are side effects and the treatment is not effective in
all cases; you should discuss this with your doctor.
Blood tests are used to check the liver regularly. If
these liver function tests are persistently abnormal, it indicates that
the liver has been damaged and you may be referred to a specialist for
treatment.
Who should be tested for hepatitis C?
People who have:
- injected drugs
- received a blood transfusion or blood products before
1990
- tattoos (particularly if applied before 1985, or if
not applied professionally, or if applied in gaol)
- had unprotected anal sex.
Anyone with a specific concern should discuss having a
test with their doctor.
If a hepatitis C test is positive
A positive result for the hepatitis C antibody test
means you have been infected with hepatitis C virus — now or in the
past. Most people who test positive for the hepatitis C antibody still
have the virus present in their body. The antibody test does not confirm
this.
The hepatitis C PCR test can detect the hepatitis
C virus itself. If the result is positive, it proves that you are carrying
the virus, and you may be at risk of future complications, such as chronic
hepatitis. If the result is negative, it means either:
- the hepatitis C virus is no longer present in your
body, or
- the hepatitis C virus is still present, but on the
day of the test was at a very low level. This is common — the amount
of hepatitis C virus in the blood frequently fluctuates.
Further blood tests (liver function tests) tell if your
liver is inflamed because of the hepatitis C infection.
- If the results are normal, the tests should be
repeated by your doctor every 12 months.
- If the results show inflammation of the liver, you
should be referred to a specialist.
To stay as healthy as possible
Limit alcohol intake to one standard drink a day, or
preferably stop drinking alcohol.
Minimise medications which can be toxic to the liver
(e.g. paracetamol). You should tell your doctor about your hepatitis C so
he/she knows which drugs to prescribe.
Consider vaccination against hepatitis
A and hepatitis B, if you are
not already immune. Discuss this with your doctor, as you may need to have
a blood test first.
How to stop the spread of hepatitis C
If you have a positive hepatitis C test:
- Do not share injecting drug equipment, such as
needles, syringes, water, mixing spoons or plates.
- Do not share razors or toothbrushes.
- Do not donate blood, semen or other body tissues or
organs.
- Advise health care workers, including your dentist,
that you are hepatitis C positive.
- In acute infection it is advisable to use condoms
when having sex. Condoms should always be used for anal sex.
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