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Liver and Hepatitis C
What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is an inflammatory liver disease caused by hepatitis C virus (also referred to as HCV or hcv). Of the six types of known hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D, E, and the recently identified G), hepatitis C most commonly causes chronic hepatitis and is the most common reason for liver transplantation, even though hepatitis B is more prevalent. Hepatitis C is rarely cured by hepatitis C medication and is not commonly spontaneously eliminated because the hepatitis C virus changes frequently, eluding the immune system. The inflammatory immune response to hepatitis C virus contributes to fibrosis (liver scarring) and cirrhosis (permanent liver scarring and altered liver structure). Six HCV genotypes and many subtypes exist; genotype 1 is most common in the United States.
What are the risk factors and causes of hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C infection results from exposure to blood contaminated with hepatitis C virus, which replicates in liver hepatocytes. The hepatitis C virus can live on surfaces for 16 hours and possibly up to 4 days. Thus, those at high risk of contracting hepatitis c include:
- People who received blood transfusions or organ transplants before July 1992 (before blood pools were screened by polymerase chain reaction or PCR)
- People who received clotting factors before 1987
- People who received kidney dialysis
- Illicit peripheral drug users
- Health care workers at risk of needle sticks or eye splashes with HCV contaminated blood
- Children born to HCV positive mothers (caesarean section decreases this risk)
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