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Importance of Hepatitis C Virus

The hepatitis C virus can attack the liver and cause serious liver conditions. Most carriers of this virus have no signs or symptoms. People who are at risk for hepatitis C virus exposure should be tested for the virus.

  1. Infection Symptoms

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, the early stages of a hepatitis C infection will not normally produce symptoms. Mild flu-like symptoms may develop in some people, including muscle and joint pain, fever and tenderness near the liver.

    Causes

    • Hepatitis C infection results from exposure to blood that has contaminated by the virus. Common causes of virus exposure are blood transfusions and organ transplants that were done before 1992 and the sharing of needles by drug users.

    Risk Factors

    • Health care workers who were exposed to contaminated blood, illicit drug users and people who received a tattoo with unsterile equipment have an increased risk of becoming infected with the hepatitis C virus.

    Complications

    • Possible complications of long term hepatitis C infection include liver cancer, liver failure and scarring of the liver.

    Testing

    • Blood tests are available from doctors that identify the presence of the hepatitis C virus, measure the quantity of virus in the blood and evaluate the genetic makeup of the strain of a hepatitis C virus. A liver tissue sample may be obtained with a biopsy and analyzed for a hepatitis C infection.

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