Specific Disease Frequently Asked Questions | Hepatitis C

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	What is Hepatitis C?
	How could a person have gotten hepatitis C?
	What is the treatment for chronic hepatitis C?

What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is found in the blood of persons who have this disease. HCV is spread by contact with the blood of an infected person.

How could a person have gotten hepatitis C?
HCV is spread primarily by direct contact with human blood. For example, you may have gotten infected with HCV if:

• you ever injected street drugs, as the needles and/or other drug "works" used to prepare or inject the drug(s) may have had someone else's blood that contained HCV on them.
• you received blood, blood products, or solid organs from a donor whose blood contained HCV.
  
• you were ever on long-term kidney dialysis as you may have unknowingly shared supplies/equipment that had someone else's blood on them.
  
• you were ever a healthcare worker and had frequent contact with blood on the job, especially accidental needlesticks.
  
• your mother had hepatitis C at the time she gave birth to you. During the birth her blood may have gotten into your body.
  
• you ever had sex with a person infected with HCV.
  
• you lived with someone who was infected with HCV and shared items such as razors or toothbrushes that might have had his/her blood on them.
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What is the treatment for chronic hepatitis C?
Combination therapy with pegylated interferon and ribavirin is the treatment of choice resulting in sustained response rates of 40%-80%. (up to 50% for patients infected with the most common genotype found in the U.S. [genotype 1] and up to 80% for patients infected with genotypes 2 or 3). Interferon monotherapy is generally reserved for patients in whom ribavirin is contraindicated. Ribavirin, when used alone, does not work.