Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

756 Bloodborne Pathogens in Healthcare Settings Specific Bloodborne Pathogens Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is also a significant cause of severe liver damage and death.

Hepatitis C kills more Americans than any other infection disease. Deaths associated with hepatitis C reached 18,153 in 2016, according to surveillance data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About 3.5 million Americans are currently living with hepatitis C and roughly half are unaware of their infection. Approximately 1 to 5% of people infected with hepatitis C virus die as a result of the long-term damage caused to the liver and body.

Approximately 70%-80% of people with acute Hepatitis C do not have any symptoms. Some people, however, can have mild to severe symptoms soon after being infected, including:

Graph showing the incidence of acute hepatitis C by year in the United States between 2001-2016. — Incidence of acute HCV

fever
fatigue
loss of appetite
nausea
vomitting
abdominal pain
dark urine
clay-colored bowel movements
joint pain
jaundice (yellow color in the skin or eyes)

Click here to view the CDC fact sheet for Hepatitis C. (PDF)

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