Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a bloodborne liver infection caused by HCV that often becomes chronic, but modern antiviral treatment can cure most infections.
What hepatitis C is
Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by hepatitis C virus, often shortened to HCV. Some people clear the virus after acute infection, but many develop chronic hepatitis C. Chronic infection can slowly scar the liver and raise the risk of cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.
How HCV spreads
HCV spreads mainly through blood. Common risks include sharing needles or injection equipment, unsafe medical injections, inadequate infection control, unscreened blood products, and birth exposure. Sexual transmission is less efficient than blood exposure but can occur, especially when blood exposure or certain risk factors are present.
Symptoms
Many people with hepatitis C have no symptoms for a long time. When symptoms occur, they can include fatigue, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, dark urine, pale stools, joint pain, and jaundice. Feeling well does not rule out chronic infection, which is why screening matters.
Testing
Testing usually starts with an HCV antibody test. If that test is reactive, an HCV RNA test checks whether the virus is currently in the blood. This two-step pattern matters because antibodies can show past exposure, while RNA testing shows current infection that may need treatment.
Treatment and cure
Modern direct-acting antivirals can cure most hepatitis C infections in weeks rather than years. Treatment choice depends on viral genotype when needed, liver health, prior treatment, pregnancy status, other medical conditions, and drug interactions. Cure lowers the risk of future liver damage, but people with advanced liver scarring may still need monitoring.
Long-term liver risk
Untreated chronic hepatitis C can cause fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Alcohol use, hepatitis B or HIV coinfection, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and other liver stresses can worsen outcomes. Early diagnosis and treatment help prevent damage before symptoms appear.
Prevention
Because there is no vaccine, prevention focuses on reducing blood exposure. This includes using sterile injection equipment, never sharing needles or syringes, safe healthcare and tattooing practices, screening blood products, testing people with risk factors, treating confirmed infection, and preventing reinfection after cure.
Public-health control
Hepatitis C control depends on finding infections that have been hidden for years and linking people to curative treatment. Screening recommendations, harm-reduction services, prison and community testing, perinatal follow-up, and affordable antiviral access all shape whether elimination goals become real.
Why it matters
Hepatitis C matters because it is both quiet and curable. A person may have no symptoms while liver damage accumulates, yet a short course of treatment can remove the virus. That makes testing one of the most powerful steps in the whole story.