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Bloodborne Pathogens Section
Hepatitis C Fact Sheet
Cause
- Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
- Identified in 1989
- Responsible for 90% of non-A, non-B hepatitis cases following blood
transfusion prior to 1989
- HCV is a viral infection carried in the blood
- There are six genotypes and more than 100 subtypes of HCV identified.
Clinical Characteristics
Incubation Period |
Average 6-7 weeks |
Acute Illness |
Mild acute illness is seen in less than 25 % of infected
people |
Chronic Infection |
70-80% of people progress to chronic infection. |
Death from Chronic Liver Disease, Disease from liver
damage, and Cancer of the Liver |
1-5% of infected people per year.
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Signs and Symptoms
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) can occur in 20-30% of those
infected. Other general symptoms such as uneasiness, loss of appetite,
pain in the stomach area, dark urine and fatigue can be seen in 10-20%
of those infected.
- About 70-80% of people show no signs or symptoms of infection.
- About 20-30% or individuals who are infected with acute Hep C will
recover without treatment.
Modes of Transmission
- Exposure to blood or blood products infected with HCV
- An infected mother can pass the infection to her newborn child (vertical
transmission).
- Sexual transmission is a rare event, but can happen in the presence
of blood.
- Household transmission through sharing of razors, toothbrushes and
combs is possible
Persons at Risk
Persons |
Level of Risk |
Recipients of blood, tissues, or organs prior to 1990 |
High |
Recipients of blood clotting factors (e.g. Factor VIII)
prior to 1992 |
High |
Injection Drug Users |
High |
People who 'snort' drugs |
High |
Hemodialysis patients |
Medium |
People getting tattoos and body piercings with tools
that are not sterile (e.g. in prison) |
Medium |
People who have sex with a Hep C carrier |
Medium |
Babies born to Hep C infected mothers |
Low |
Health Care Workers |
Low |
Prevention
- If your job regularly exposes you to blood or blood products from
others, try to protect yourself with gloves to reduce the risk of the
spread of viruses.
- If you use injection drugs, ensure you use clean, sterile needles.
Sharing needles, syringes or other drug-use equipment with others can
put you at risk of infection.
Treatment
- Treatment of people with new Hep C infections with long acting interferon
and ribavirin can get rid of the virus in up to 60% of people within
24 to 48 weeks.
Canadian Data on the trends of HCV
- Incidence is currently between 10-20 cases per 100,000 /year in Canada
- Prevalence was estimated at 250,000 or 0.8% of the Canadian population
in 2002.
Reference: Bloodborne Pathogens Section, Blood Safety Surveillance and
Health Care Acquired Infections Division, Health Canada, 2003
[Blood Safety Surveillance and
Health Care Acquired Infections Division]
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