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What is hepatitis C?
- The Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus. The virus can cause severe acute and chronic inflammation, ranging from the severity of the case of disease from mild lasts for a few weeks and other serious accompany the patient's lifetime.
- Can be acute inflammation that lasts about six months after the injury. During this period, the 10-50% of people with antibodies to liquidate the virus automatically.
- The chronic viral hepatitis C infection rarely filtered without treatment. At this stage, it can damage the liver that evolve slowly over 10-50 years, and may lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure or even death.
- The most common ways of transmission are unsafe use of injection and exposure to contaminated blood.
- No vaccine yet for hepatitis C.
Who gets hepatitis C?
- There are about 150 million people are infected with hepatitis C around the world. In 2000, WHO estimated that there are three Alai four million new people become infected each year, and 350 to 500 thousand people die each year as a result associated with hepatitis C. Liver Disease
- In developing countries, it is a chronic viral hepatitis C causes inflammation of the first to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation.
- According to WHO estimates, there are at least 21.3 million people have hepatitis C virus in the Eastern Mediterranean countries, a number close to the number of virus campaign in North and South America and Europe combined.
- In Lebanon, with an estimated prevalence of hepatitis C between 0.6 and 1% of the population.
How transmitted viral hepatitis C infection?
Spread hepatitis C by direct contact with infected blood. You can pick up hepatitis C infection through:
- Contaminated needles used in tattooing.
- Participation in the needles and / or other intravenous injections of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
- Wounds and occasional needles in a medical environment.
- Risky sexual behavior such as multiple partners.
- Occurring blood transfusion before the adoption of a blood test policy operations.
- Transmission from mother to child.
- Can not be transmitted viral hepatitis C by the mother's milk (lactation), food or water, or accidental contact Kannaq, kissing or sharing food or drink with someone Massab.a
- Prevention: No vaccine yet for hepatitis C; therefore should reduce the risk of infection by avoiding the use of post needles and toothbrushes, razors or scissors for nails with a HIV-infected persons. It is also advisable to avoid making tattoos or holes from non-licensed.
How is the diagnosis of viral hepatitis C?
- Patients often do not recognize the symptoms of hepatitis C only after the occurrence of serious liver damage.
- When symptoms appear, often a simple error attributable to other cases. This is what contributes to the relatively low awareness and detection rates related to hepatitis C.
- Is recognized as viral hepatitis C through a blood test: the first looking for the presence of antibodies secreted by the immune system in response to antigens of the virus; and the second is to test the interaction of the enzyme polymerase chain PCR which reveals the reincarnation of the hepatitis C virus in the blood.
It includes exposed to infection with this virus is increasingly the following groups:
People who inject drugs.
People who have been exposed to infected blood products or who have been exposed to blood transfusions before the adoption of a blood test policy in the nineties.
Children born to mothers infected.
Persons who have a sexual partner is infected with hepatitis C.
People living with HIV loss (AIDS).
People who have used the drug inside the nose.
People who have been exposed to contaminated needles used for tattoos, ornaments and holes.
Symptoms
- The incubation period of Hepatitis C virus from two weeks to six weeks. After the initial injury, 80% of people do not complain of any symptoms.
- Those who complain of symptoms may appear on fever, fatigue year or fatigue, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, pain and Alentfaj in the abdomen, dark urine, feces, gray, joint pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
How is the treatment of viral hepatitis C?
- Can tackle viral hepatitis C by anti-retroviral drugs, which help to increase the body's immune response. No vaccine yet for hepatitis C.
- Treatment of hepatitis C is designed to rid the body of the virus and to achieve sustained viral response (SVR), which means that the hepatitis C virus would not be discoverable in the blood six months after completing treatment. Reaching a sustainable viral response is largely an indication of healing.
- Are to high rates of sustainable viral response achieved by the treatment of polychlorinated long-acting interferon and ribavirin.