Exploring Hepatitis C's Disease

There are two different main types of diagnostic testing that can be done to determine if the Hepatitis C virus is present in your body. The Hepatitis C Antibody test is a screening test ordered by your physician that will show if you have ever been exposed to the virus in your lifetime. This test detects antibodies that your body would have formed in order to fight off the Hepatitis C virus.

The increasing number of citizens that are testing positive for Hepatitis C is shocking and the epidemic is just getting worse. One out of every one hundred people in the general population has Hepatitis C, but the ratio is higher in prisons. One out of every six inmates has Hepatitis C (Wegner, Rottnek, Parker and Crippin, 2014). Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood disease that is caused by a virus and it affects the liver. Unfortunately there is no vaccine to prevent this disease and I have seen first-hand how ugly this virus is. I have worked in the medical field for the past 6 years and I have a very close friend who contracted HCV. Unfortunately, she was one of the many people that needed a liver transplant. HCV has infected four times as

In time the virus can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure. Symptoms of HCV are jaundice (yellowing of the eyes), stomach pain, nausea and fatigue. The main problem is that many people don’t have symptoms until they already have some sort of liver damage. Treatment options for HCV include a combination of medications or depending on the degree of damage, a liver transplant. Given that HCV it is a blood disease that is spread through contact with an infected person’s blood, there are many ways to contract this disease. Injection drug users, physical altercations, sexual contact and mother to infant infection are just some of the ways this disease is spread.

Initially, the treatment for hepatitis C is a combination of two drug categories which are interferon and ribavirin (IDSA, 2016). Interferon works by stimulating the immune system to attack the hepatitis C virus cells (IDSA, 2016). Pegylated interferon works more efficient than standard interferon. Pegylated interferon is a long-acting type of interferon that is administered as an injection with significant side effects; consequently, many patients with HCV cannot continue taking it (IDSA, 2016).

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus. According to related research, about 2.7 million persons in the United States have chronic hepatitis C virus infection, and globally about 130–150 million people have chronic hepatitis C infection.

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis is most commonly caused by viruses, and can cause your liver to become inflamed, swollen and tender. The symptoms of Hepatitis start out like the flu with coughing, fever, aches, and vomiting. However, the disease gradually worsens with symptoms of extreme weakness and excruciating abdominal pain. Never the less, Hepatitis can also be caused by alcohol and some other toxins and infections. There are many forms of Hepatitis; the most commonly seen forms are Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis c. Furthermore, Worldwide, 500 million people are estimated to be infected with Hepatitis B or C. These viruses kill 1.5 million people a year; 1 in every 3 people has been exposed to either or both viruses and most infected people do not know about it due to dormant symptoms.

Hepatitis C is an infection of the blood caused by the Hepatitis C virus. While the Hepatitis virus is widely known for damage caused to the liver, it can also cause damage to the kidneys and other body organs as well since it is an infection in the blood. Hepatitis C is both acute and chronic meaning it can last 6 months and resolve on it 's own or it can last a lifetime. The family name Hepatitis includes Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B in name while each is a completely separate disease. Each separate disease is caused from a completely different virus and transmitted in differently.

Regina is a 62-year-old female diagnosed with chronic viral Hepatitis C (B18.2) and is genotype 1a. She is treatment naïve. Her most recent lab results indicate HCV RNA 4,005,368 IU/mL, ALT 63, and AST 83. Regina’s CT scan shows a cirrhotic appearance of the liver.

Hepatitis C is an infection of the liver caused by the virus called Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Hepatitis C can be acute and chronic, it is an asymptomatic disease, but a chronic infection can be life threatening and cause serious health complications in the future and eventually death. Many are unaware of this infection; the life threatening health risk involves liver damage, end- stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma and even death. It 's been estimated that in the United States 2.7 million people are infected with chronic HCV, whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 3.2 million (Ditah, 2010). The infected population are primarily in their fifties and sixties, born between 1945 and 1965. One attributable cause is believed to be the transmission of the contaminated blood through organ transplants and drug injections. It is expected that compensated cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) will increase by over 80 percent from the year 2000 to the year 2020. Over the same period, it is estimated that decompensated cirrhosis would increase over 100 percent and that liver-related deaths would increase by 181 percent (Davis GL, Albright JE, 2003).

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), the most common blood-borne pathogen known to man, can last a lifetime and lead to serious liver problems, including cirrhosis, liver cancer, and ultimately death. It is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer and the most common reason for liver transplantation in the United States. The largest and most significant risk factor for the virus is misuse of IV drugs. Approximately 19,000 people die every year from Hepatitis C related liver disease. The impact of undiagnosed and untreated HCV is expected to increase dramatically over the next 40 to 50 years with 1.76 million persons developing cirrhosis, 400,000 developing HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma), and 1 million persons dying from HCV-associated complications.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most widespread blood borne infection throughout the United States. It is estimated that nearly 3.2 million Americans are chronically infected (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). HCV is a leading cause of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and is an indication for liver transplant (Medscape, 2012). As a result, HCV poses a significant economic burden on the American health care system.

    As for Hepatitis B and C, there can sometimes be no symptoms. However, when there are symptoms, people often encounter jaundice, stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea, and fatigue. HBV is the less dangerous hepatitis. It often gets better on it’s own and needs no treatment. However, HBV can also be a long-term infection and eventually end up developing into liver damage. Hepatitis C can also cause liver damage.

Nwakamma stated, “Routes of infection include organ transplantation, IV drug use, sexual contact, exposure to blood, perinatal transmission or occupational exposure” (Nwakamma). Organ transplantation was one of the first ways scientists were able to determine the cause of Hepatitis C. Another more common way Hepatitis C is still being spread is by IV drug use. If a IV needle is contaminated with infected blood, that can cause the person using it to get hepatitis C. When people are injecting drugs into their bodies using someone else’s needle, they are putting themselves at high risk to contract any infectious virus. Infectious viruses are not visible on objects but they are visible once they enter in your bloodstream. The formation of the virus is identified as a positive stranded RNA. Nwakamma makes a similar point about the description of the virus by stating, “The Hepatitis C virus is a small, enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus of the family Flaviviridae, and has a genome of approximately ten-thousand nucleotides coding for structural proteins” (Nwakamma). Once the Hepatitis C virus binds to a cell surface receptor that leads to viral entry into the host cell. Due to Flaviviridae being an RNA virus, it cannot replicate in the nucleus. Patients whose condition with Hepatitis C becomes chronic often have a hard time producing insulin. In accordance with the previous

Detection of Hepatitis C virus is typically done using Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect hepatitis C antibody; or Hepatitis C RNA assays are used to determine the viral load. Genetic testing is then done to check for the type of Hep C infection, which can be of six types (genotypes 1 through 6). In the US, baby boomers (born 1945-1965) are encouraged to get tested, as they may be treated with antiviral drugs to prevent progression to cancer [12].

Hepatitis C has been referred to as a "Silent Epidemic," since it usually progresses slowly over many years. Most people who are infected with hepatitis C are not aware of any noticeable symptoms for as long as one to two decades after they are infected. In fact, by the time symptoms appear, the virus has probably already begun to damage the liver. If the liver is injured and stops functioning, death will always be the outcome (Lieber). Liver failure from chronic hepatitis C is one of the most common causes of liver transplants in the United States.