what are the characteristics of hepatitis c?
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When signs and symptoms are present, they may include jaundice, along with fatigue, nausea, fever and muscle aches. Acute symptoms appear one to three months after exposure to the virus and last two weeks to three months. Acute hepatitis C infection doesn't always become chronic.
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This is especially important because you may have the virus without any obvious symptoms. The long incubation period for HCV can make it difficult to tell if you have the virus.
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Different strains of hepatitis exist, including hepatitis A, B, C, and D. The most common types of hepatitis are A, B, and C. Hepatitis A is usually a short-term infection while hepatitis B and C can cause long-term, or chronic, infections. A person can have both hepatitis B and hepatitis C at the same time.
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HCV (hepatitis C virus) has a high propensity to persist and to cause chronic hepatitis C, eventually leading to cirrhosis. Since HCV itself is not cytopathic, liver damage in chronic hepatitis C is commonly attributed to immune-mediated mechanisms.
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Symptoms of chronic Hepatitis B can take up to 30 years to develop. Damage to the liver can silently occur during this time. When symptoms do appear, they often are a sign of advanced liver disease. Symptoms for both acute and chronic Hepatitis B can include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, and jaundice.
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If your body struggled with the hepatitis C virus for a prolonged period of time (called a chronic hepatitis C infection), the virus may have done damage to one or more parts of the body, including the immune system. This can leave a person more susceptible to illnesses than a healthier person.
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Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infection that is transmitted in some of the same ways as HIV. Over time untreated hepatitis C can cause serious liver disease including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Modern hepatitis C treatment has few side-effects and can cure almost everyone.
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Acute hepatitis C occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C can be a short-term illness, but for most people, acute infection leads to chronic infection. Chronic hepatitis C can be a lifelong infection with the hepatitis C virus if left untreated.
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What is Hepatitis C? Hepatitis C is a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The hepatitis C virus was discovered in 1989. Prior to that, it was associated with blood transfusions, but was called non-A, non-B hepatitis because the virus could not be identified.
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Overview. The HCV RNA PCR test is used to determine whether the hepatitis C virus (HCV) exists in your bloodstream. If the virus is present, the test can also measure the exact amount that's in your blood. The amount of virus in your blood is known as the viral load.
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All HCV genotypes cause the same amount of liver damage. However, people infected with genotype 1, particularly subtype 1b, may have a greater chance of developing cirrhosis, or severe liver scarring, than other genotypes. Genotypes 1b and 3 may increase the risk of liver cancer.
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Symptoms of hepatitis can include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice.
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Both hepatitis B and C infections can cause short- and long-term effects. However, hepatitis C is more likely to turn into a chronic condition than hepatitis B. A person can transmit hepatitis B through bodily fluids, while the transmission of hepatitis C usually only occurs through blood-to-blood contact.
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Acute hepatitis C is a contagious viral infection spread through contact with blood and bodily fluids that contain HCV. The main risk of the acute form of the disease is development into chronic hepatitis C, a more serious form of the disease that can cause liver damage and liver cancer.
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How soon after exposure to hepatitis C virus do symptoms appear? In those people who develop symptoms from acute infection, the average time from exposure to symptoms ranges from 2 to 12 weeks. However, most people who are infected with the hepatitis C virus do not develop symptoms.
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►Blood transfusions and organ transplants. Hepatitis C is not spread by sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing. It is also not spread through food or water.
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Hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection spreads when blood contaminated with the virus enters the bloodstream of an uninfected person.