Hepatitis C Virus HCV: General Information

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Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) General Information
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Hepatitis C

• Bloodborne virus
• Frequently causes chronic infection
• Sometimes spread in healthcare settings
• Vaccine? NO

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US Hepatitis C

• Estimated 1.6 of US infected
• Causes 40 - 60 chronic liver disease
• 10,000 - 20,000 deaths/yr
• Most common reason for liver transplantation

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How do people get hepatitis C?

• Injecting illegal drugs, such as heroin or
  cocaine, even if it's only once
• Sharing needles and drug preparation tools
• Getting a blood transfusion or organ transplant
  before 1992

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How do people get hepatitis C?

• Being on kidney dialysis for a long time
• Sexual transmission
• Being exposed to hepatitis C on the job, such as
  a health care worker being stuck by a needle
• Being born to a woman who had hepatitis C when
  she gave birth

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Possible Routes

• Tattoos
• Piercings
• Shared household items
• Coke straws and crack pipes
• lt10 of routes cannot be identified

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Injecting Drug Use and HCV

• Virus spreads easily with blood-blood contact
• More easily than HIV and HBV
• Rapidly acquired after people start injecting
• Four times more common than HIV
• 60-90 of injectors have it after 5 years of
  injecting

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Things to Remember

• HCV can be spread by sex, but this does not occur
  often
• People with HCV can still get hepatitis A and B
• Drinking alcohol can cause more damage to the
  liver

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Things to Remember

• There is no vaccine for hepatitis C
• There is treatment for hepatitis C, but it is not
  always effective
• Avoid infection through prevention

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Prevention

• For injecting drug users
• Do not share anything!
• Needles
• Cookers
• Cotton
• Tourniquets
• Water for solution

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Prevention

• Do not share non-injection drug equipment
• Coke/crank straws
• Crack pipes
• Tattooing/Piercing
• Use only sterile equipment, ink, etc.

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Prevention

• Sexual
• Safer sex
• Monogamous couples counsel
• Don't share personal items that might
• have blood on them
• Razors
• Toothbrushes

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Different Mixes of Risk Factors
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
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Comparison with HIV
Hepatitis C
HIV
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Co-Infection

• HCV is the most common cause of death in HIV ()
  people
• HIV plus HCV more HCV in blood, faster disease
  progression

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You cannot get hepatitis C from

• Hugging someone with hepatitis C
• Sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses
• Food or water
• Sneezing

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You cannot get hepatitis C from

• Casual contact
• Donating blood
• Breast feeding --- with proper nipple care

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Who should be tested for HCV?

• Anyone who
• Ever injected illegal drugs
• Received clotting factors made before 1987
• Received blood/organs before July 1992
• Has ever been on long-term kidney dialysis
• Has evidence of liver disease
• Was born to an HCV positive mother

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Who Should Not be Tested for HCV?

• Healthcare, emergency, public safety workers
• (exception recognized exposure such as a
  needlestick)
• Pregnant women
• Household (non-sexual) contacts of HCV persons
• The general population