For World Hepatitis Day, Medical News Today spoke with Dr. Alexandra Buzea about hepatitis C — how the infection manifests, what treatments are available, and how to fight harmful stereotypes and misinformation about this illness.
July 28 is World Hepatitis Day, the yearly day of awareness of hepatitis, a viral infection that affects the liver. It can result from different strains of the hepatitis virus: A, B, C, D, or E.
Hepatitis C infections are some of the most common that affect the liver. They are caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Globally, HCV affected an estimated 71 million people in 2015, and between 2013 and 2016, about 2.4 million people in the United States were living with HCV infections.
If a person does not receive a diagnosis and treatment, an HCV infection can become chronic, leading to a risk of cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver.
Because initial symptoms of an HCV infection can go undiagnosed for a long time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now advise “one-time hepatitis C testing of all adults (18 years and older) and all pregnant women during every pregnancy.”
To better understand how HCV infections manifest, what treatment options there are, and how to combat harmful stereotypes about the condition, MNT has spoken with Dr. Alexandra Buzea.
Dr. Buzea is a vascular surgeon with additional experience in liver, or hepatic, transplantation affiliated with the Ponderas Academic Hospital, in Bucharest, Romania.
We have lightly edited the interview transcript for clarity.
MNT: What is hepatitis C, and what are its effects on health?
Dr. Alexandra Buzea: HCV is a well-known virus that can affect the liver, both in an acute form and in chronic form. HCV can lead to hepatitis — characterized by inflammation of the liver cells — ranging from a mild form lasting a few weeks to a lifelong disease.
What people need to understand is that this virus, although highly curable, if left untreated, becomes one of the main causes of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Most people do not exhibit any symptoms, but a few “unlucky” ones may experience fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and even jaundice.
MNT: How can a person contract HCV?
Dr. Alexandra Buzea: The most common way of becoming infected is through exposure to infected blood. A small quantity of it is enough for someone to contract the virus.
Although the most cited means of infection are through intravenous drug use, unsafe injection practices, contaminated blood transfusions or blood products, or inadequate sterilization of medical equipment, sometimes a small cut on the finger will suffice.
We should also mention other, less common ways of contracting HCV, like unsafe sexual practices or through birth. A mother who has contracted HCV can pass it on t