Hepatitis C is a viral disease characterized by inflammation of the liver. It is spread through infected blood and is often transmitted as a result of sharing things such as needles for tattoos, body piercings, or drugs. Potential symptoms include loss of appetite, jaundice, and fever. Treatment, which usually involves medications, will be recommended based on the amount of virus in the body and how much liver damage has already occurred.
The disease can be either acute or chronic; with acute hepatitis C, the body can completely kill the virus. However, with
chronic hepatitis C, which develops in about 85 percent of people infected with the virus, the body is unable to completely get rid of the virus, and long-term liver infection can occur.
(For more details on how this disease is transmitted, as well as details on additional symptoms and treatment options, click Hepatitis C.)
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