Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus: the virus can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis, ranging in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.
Treatment
There are several treatment options for people with chronic Hepatitis C infections. There are a number of medications for Hepatitis C that clear the virus at a very high rate with more than 90% of patients who complete treatment being cured. Current standard of care medications for Hepatitis C include:
- Sovaldi (sofosbuvir)
- Harvoni (ledispasivir and sofosbuvir)
- Viekira Pak
- Technivie
Prevention
There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C. Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for anyone with Hepatitis C. Primary prevention interventions include:
- Safe and appropriate use of health care injections, and disposal of sharps and waste
- Do not share needles or any other injection supplies, including water. Always wash your hands before injecting
- Do not share any straws to snort drugs, or pipes to smoke drugs
- Cover any open cuts or wounds
- Promotion of correct and consistent use of condoms
- Make sure that in healthcare settings standard safety precautions are being carefully followed
- Do not share any personal hygiene items such as razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, or pierced earrings. Cover personal items and keep them separate from other people you live with.
- Hand hygiene: including surgical hand preparation, hand washing, and use of gloves
- Testing of donated blood for Hepatitis B and C (as well as HIV and syphilis)
- Training of health personnel