What is hepatitis C (HCV)?

Hepatitis C (once called non-A, non-B hepatitis) is a liver disease caused by a recently identified blood-borne virus discovered in 1989. This strain of acute viral hepatitis causes approximately 20,000 new infections in the U.S. each year.

Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and can be transmitted through blood contact. Because of the lack of symptoms during early stages, hepatitis C is usually not diagnosed until its damage is well advanced.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is the painful, red swelling that results when tissues of the body become injured or infected. Inflammation can cause organs to not work properly.

This answer is based on source information from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Hepatitis is defined as inflammation of the liver. Viral infections are the most common cause of hepatitis. A type of hepatitis known as hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This virus is made up of a single strand of ribonucleic acid (RNA) surrounded by two layers (envelopes), one consisting of proteins and the other of lipids (fat). RNA is a nucleic acid that helps in protein synthesis, which is important for the growth and maintenance of the body.

Hepatitis C virus belongs to theFlaviviridaefamily, which includes viruses that mainly spread through arthropod vectors such as ticks and mosquitoes. Dengue fever, an infectious disease transmitted to humans by mosquitoes, and Japanese encephalitis, an infection that affects the nervous system which is also transmitted by mosquitoes, are some of the diseases caused by theFlaviviridaefamily of organisms.

In the mid 1970s, researchers found that a particular type of hepatitis that develops in a person after receiving a blood transfusion was not caused by hepatitis A or B viruses. They named the new virus non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH). The unknown organism was identified by scientists in 1987, and it was renamed the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989.

HCV causes a liver disease known as hepatitis C. The incubation period, which is the period between infection and the onset of clinical symptoms, ranges from 15 to 150 days. Humans and chimpanzees are the only two species that are susceptible to HCV, and a similar disease process has been observed in both species.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 170 million people are chronically infected with HCV, with 3 to 4 million new infections occurring every year. The distribution of HCV types varies globally. For example, HCV type 1 is the most common and accounts for 70% of the HCV infections in the United States.

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Hepatitis C (HCV) is a virus that attacks the liver, causing inflammation and other problems. In this video, liver transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Brown discusses the long-term effects of hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. Most people get it by sharing needles or being exposed to infected blood. Over time, it can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver cancer, or liver failure.