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Introducing hep C
The word hepatitis means inflammation or swelling of the liver. Hepatitis can be caused by chemicals or drugs, by drinking too much alcohol or by different kinds of viruses.
A virus is a type of germ. There are many different kinds of viruses and they are capable of infecting almost all animals and plants. Viruses cannot reproduce on their own and need to get inside a host cell and borrow some of its genetic material in order to multiply.
There are a number of hepatitis viruses (including A, B and C). In most ways they are all very different but their similarity is that they all affect humans and target the liver.
The following table lists key differences between the main hepatitis viruses. The rest of our website will focus mainly on hep C.
| Hep A | Hep B | Hep C | |
What is it?
| A liver illness caused by hep A virus. The virus makes people sick but only for 1-3 weeks.
| A liver illness caused by hep B virus. The virus affects people differently: Most adults clear their infection and have no further problems. Many babies and children don’t clear it and may have liver problems later in life.
| A liver illness caused by hep C virus. Most people don’t clear the virus and have the illness for life. The illness can cause liver problems.
|
Window period*
| Blood tests usually not given due to the short nature of illness.
| On average, 8 weeks.
| On average, 12 weeks.
|
Transmitted by
| Food or water contaminated with sewerage. Anything with human faeces (poo) on it that comes in contact with the mouth. | Blood-to-blood contact (when one person’s blood gets into another person’s bloodstream). Sexual contact. Mother to baby.
| Blood-to-blood contact (see left). Mother to baby. |
Risk behaviours
| Household contact with an infected person. Sexual contact (involving anal sex) with an infected person. Travelling through developing countries. | Sexual contact with an infected person. Sharing needles and syringes when injecting drugs. Sharing other equipment (eg. spoons, filters, tourniquets) when injecting drugs. Having a needlestick injury. Tattooing or body piercing with contaminated equipment. Medical procedures in developing countries. | Sharing needles and syringes when injecting drugs. Sharing other equipment (e.g. spoons, filters, tourniquets) when injecting drugs. Receiving blood products before February 1990 in Australia. Having a needlestick injury. Tattooing or body piercing with contaminated equipment. Medical procedures in developing countries.
|
Symptoms in short term infection
| Feeling unwell, aches and pains, fever, nausea, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, dark urine, followed by jaundice (yellowing of eyes and sometimes skin). Young children usually have no symptoms. | Often no symptoms, but if they do appear, they include jaundice (see left), dark urine, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea and joint pain. | Often no symptoms, but if they do appear, they are like having a mild flu. A small number of people may have hep B-like symptoms (see left).
|
Symptoms in long term infection
| No long term infection. | Fatigue, nausea, muscle aches and pains, abdominal discomfort or jaundice.
| Fatigue, nausea, muscle aches and pains or abdominal discomfort.
|
Treatment
| Not needed. | Adefovir, entecavir, pegylated interferon, lamivudine and telbivudine. Some people use complementary medicine (e.g. herbalism) to manage their symptoms. | Combination treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. Some people use complementary medicine (e.g. herbalism) to manage their symptoms.
|
Vaccine
| Yes. It is safe and effective. | Yes. It is safe and effective. Part of universal childhood vaccination.
| None available. |
Prevention
| Get vaccinated. Household contacts and sexual partners of someone with hep A should have an injection of immunoglobulin (drugs that provide immediate short-term protection against particular diseases). Wash hands after going to the toilet and before eating. Practice safe sex. | Get vaccinated. Do not share needles and syringes when injecting drugs. Do not share other equipment when injecting drugs. Avoid other blood-to-blood contact. Practice safe sex. Newborn babies should be given an injection of immunoglobulin (see left) within 12 hours of birth.
| Do not share needles and syringes when injecting drugs. Do not share other equipment when injecting drugs. Avoid other blood-to-blood contact. |
* A window period is the time between infection and the illness showing up in blood tests.
Detailed information about hep C can be found in our other about hep C pages, and within our info resources pages.
Our website is always evolving. If you have ideas or feedback on how we can improve this page, or if you come across errors, please email us by clicking here (don't forget to tell us which page you are providing feedback on).
Stock photos used. People shown may have no actual connection with hep C.
Top image by Bovinemagnet, taken with thanks from www.flickr.com
This page last updated 14 May 2010
