TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -Virus hepatitis C HCV for short is spread through contaminated blood. Therefore, it is important for you to know the causes, symptoms and how to prevent hepatitis C infection.
Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This virus can cause acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from mild illness to lifelong serious illness including liver cirrhosis and cancer.
WHO says 58 million people have hepatitis C infection
Quoting from the official website of the World Health Organization, until recently, hepatitis C treatment required weekly injections and oral medications that many people infected with HCV could not take because of other health problems or unacceptable side effects.
Globally, an estimated 58 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus infection, with approximately 1.5 million new infections occurring annually. It is estimated that there are 3.2 million adolescents and children with chronic hepatitis C infection.
In 2019, WHO estimates that around 290,000 people died from hepatitis C, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer).
Causes of Hepatitis C
Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Infection spreads when blood contaminated with the virus enters the bloodstream of an uninfected person.
Symptoms of Hepatitis C
Quoting from www.nhs.uk, the incubation period for hepatitis C ranges from 2 weeks to 6 months. This stage is known as acute hepatitis C. If symptoms develop, they usually occur a few weeks after infection. Symptoms may include:
1. Bleed easily
2. Easy bruising
3. Easily tired
4. Bad appetite
6. Yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
7. Dark urine
8. Itchy skin
9. Fluid buildup in your stomach (ascites)
10. Swelling in the legs
11. Weight loss
12. Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy)
13. Spider-like blood vessels in your skin (spider angioma)
Usually, acute hepatitis C goes undiagnosed because…
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