Wikipedia:VideoWiki/Hepatitis C

Overview
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, that primarily affects the liver.



Initial symptoms
During the initial infection, people often have mild or no symptoms. Occasionally they will have a fever, dark urine, abdominal pain, or yellow tinged skin called jaundice.

Failing to fight-off the virus
About 80% of people who get the initial infection, will never completely fight off the hepatitis C virus, and it will persist in their liver.

Late stage effects
Over many years, the chronic infection of the liver, can lead to complications like a fatty liver, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Worldwide hepatitis C is the cause of 27% of cirrhosis cases, and 25% of hepatocellular carcinomas.

Other effects
Liver failure will also cause other problems, such as confusion, accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, and enlarged blood vessels in the esophagus or stomach that can cause serious bleeding.



Spread
Hepatitis C is spread primarily by blood-to-blood contact, associated with intravenous drug use, poorly sterilized medical equipment, needlestick injuries in healthcare, and transfusions. It may also be spread from an infected mother, to her baby during birth.



Casual contact and blood screening
It is not spread by superficial contact, and the risk of being infected through a blood transfusion, can be reduced to one per two million, with proper blood screening.



Hepatitis family
It is one of five known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E.



Diagnosis
Diagnosis is by blood testing to look for either antibodies to the virus or its RNA. Testing is recommended in all people who are at risk.



Prevention
There is no vaccine against hepatitis C. Prevention includes harm reduction efforts for intravenous drug users, universal precautions for health care workers, condom use, and proper screening of donated blood.



Treatment
About 95% of people can be cured of the chronic infection, with antiviral medications such as sofosbuvir, or simeprevir. These drugs are effective but can be expensive.



Early generation treatments
Earlier generation treatments such as peginterferon, and ribavirin are more affordable, but have cure rates of less than 50%, and greater side effects.

Treatment of liver failure
Those who develop cirrhosis or liver cancer, may require a liver transplant. Hepatitis C is the leading reason for liver transplantation, though the virus usually recurs after transplantation.



Epidemiology
As of 2015, about 2% of the worlds population was infected with the hepatitis C virus, causing 167,000 deaths due to liver cancer, and 326,000 deaths due to cirrhosis. It occurs most commonly in Africa, Central, and East Asia.



History
The existence of hepatitis C (originally identifiable only as a type of non-A, non-B hepatitis) was suggested in the 1970s, and proven in 1989. Hepatitis C infects only humans and chimpanzees.