Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is an insidious disease and over 70% of those infected do not know they are infected.

Before its discovery in 1989, hepatitis C or HCV hepatitis was called "non-A, non-B." This is a very resistant virus and the disease often progresses to chronicity.

Epidemiology

Currently, more than 170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C. The disease is more common in Africa with a prevalence of 5% against only 1% in France, about 500,000 people infected. (Source: WHO)

Incubation period

The incubation period of hepatitis C varies from 15 days to 180 days (6-9 weeks on average).

What are the modes of transmission?

The mode of transmission can be by blood (direct contact with the blood of an infected person, and sharing injection equipment during intravenous drug use, contamination when making a tattoo or a piercing is mainly challenged).

The sexual contamination is rare.

What are the signs of hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is usually asymptomatic and has no warning sign for the patient.

However, the patient may present to the acute phase, the usual signs of viral hepatitis as a loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, abdominal pain associated with yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.

Diagnosis

Hepatitis C is diagnosed biologically by blood tests that determine the presence of anti-HCV antibodies.

Healing is achieved in 30% of cases. In 70% of cases, the disease progresses to the chronic form with a risk of developing liver cirrhosis within 20 years after infection (10% to 15% of cases).

Treatments

The treatment of the acute form of hepatitis C based on lifestyle and dietary rules.

The chronic form often requires the administration of medication: the combination of interferon (a drug that increases the body's defense) with antiviral (drug that acts directly against viruses and slows the progression of the disease) enable a full recovery in 40-80% of cases.

Side effects are not always met, but depend on the sensitivity of the individual treatments. However, the use of these drugs requires medical advice. At present, there is no vaccine to protect against hepatitis C hence the importance of prevention (in case of transfusion, unsafe injections, drugs ...).