Intro to Hep C

Hepatitis C infection is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Worldwide, about 170 million people have Hep C. In Canada, about 250,000 people are living with Hep C, with 110,000 in Ontario. Roughly 20% of people don't know they have the virus. 

You can get Hep C when blood containing the hepatitis C virus gets in your blood. In Canada, the highest-risk activity for getting Hep C is using drug equipment—needles, syringes, swabs, filters, spoons and water—that has been used by someone else. Taking care to avoid contact with materials that could have blood on them, even if you can't see any blood, will help you stay safe. (See Staying safe for information on how to prevent Hep C.)
 
The Hep C virus attacks your liver. Your body can try to fight the virus—and sometimes it can win—but the Hep C virus is very strong. Ordinary medicines like antibiotics do not kill viruses. However, there are special medications to treat Hep C that work for many people. (See Treatment for more information on treatment and drugs to fight Hep C.)

Genotype: 6 types of Hep C

There are six different types, or strains, of the Hep C virus. They are called genotypes. The particular genotype a person has will affect his or her treatment decisions.

Stages: different outcomes of Hep C infection

There are two stages of hepatitis C infection:

1. Acute infection

The first is the “acute” infection stage, which happens when people are first infected and can last from a few weeks to six months. Sometimes the body is able to clear the virus on its own during this stage.

2. Chronic infection

The next stage for many people is long-term or “chronic” infection, which happens when a person has had Hep C for six months or more. Chronic infection is a c

oncern because even though a person may not feel sick, the Hep C virus can be damaging their liver. 

Let's say ten people have become infected with the Hep C virus. Two of the 10 will recover from the infection or “clear” the virus during the acute phase. That means their body fought the hepatitis C virus and won. 

The other eight people will go on to develop chronic Hep C (which means that the Hep C virus is in their blood and liver more than six months after infection). It can take as long as 20 to 30 years for the virus to cause serious liver disease or damage. This damage causes scarring. 

Of those eight people with chronic infection, one or two will have enough damage to their liver over the years that the liver will not work as well as it should. This is called cirrhosis. If the disease continues to get worse, people can also get liver cancer or liver failure.

Living with Hep C: Show your liver some love!

If you’ve been at risk or think you could have Hep C, you can get tested to find out for sure.

If you have Hep C, you can take steps to reduce harm and prevent liver damage. You might:

• see a healthcare provider
• find out about treatment for Hep C
• learn tips for living with Hep C and preventing liver damage—for example, you may choose to drink less alcohol because alcohol can damage your liver even more

These things can help you stay healthy for a long time with Hep C. (See Living with Hep C for more information.)

Revised 2011.