Hepatitis - C

The Hepatitis C topic includes research on the causative pathogen, transmission, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the viral infection hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is one of the most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States. Most people who get infected with hepatitis C will develop a lifelong (chronic) infection. Left untreated, chronic hepatitis C can cause serious health problems including liver disease, liver failure, liver cancer, and even death. Chronic hepatitis C is a leading cause of liver cancer and a leading reason for liver transplants in the United States.

No vaccine is available for hepatitis C. The best way to prevent contracting it is to avoid behaviors that can spread the disease like sharing or reusing needles or other personal items that might come into contact with infected blood.