| Hepatitis
C (HCV) is a viral disease of the
liver. It is spread through
contact with the blood of infected
persons. This can occur
through sharing needles, blood
transfusions before 1992, through
sexual contact and from infected
mother to their babies.
Having HIV may increase the risk
of contracting HCV.
Symptoms
include fatigue, loss of appetite,
jaundice and abdominal pain.
Long term effect may include,
cirrhosis of the liver, liver
failure, liver cancer and
sometimes death. Symptoms of
HCV may not occur in all people,
or they may take years to show up.
Diagnosis
is established through a blood
test. There is no vaccine
for HCV and there is no cure.
There are durg treatments, but
they are only successful in 35-40%
of cases HCV was first
identified in 1989 and currently
infects 170 million people
worldwide with 275,000 in Canada.
To
prevent the spread HCV to other,
infected persons should not share
needles for intravenous drug use,
tattoos or piercings.
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