Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by a virus spread mostly through contact with infected blood — unsterile injections, reused syringes, blood transfusions before screening, unsafe medical procedures, tattoos and piercings, shared razors, and less commonly through sex. It is often silent for years, then causes cirrhosis and sometimes liver cancer.

The key thing to know

Hepatitis C is now curable. Directly-acting antivirals (DAAs) — taken as tablets for 8-12 weeks — cure more than 95% of cases, including in advanced disease. Generic versions in India are affordable, and treatment is also available through government programmes at low or no cost.

Symptoms

• Often none for years — the infection is silent.
• Fatigue, vague upper-belly discomfort.
• Late stages — jaundice, leg swelling, confusion, bruising (signs of cirrhosis).

Who should be tested

• Anyone who received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before the mid-1990s, or in an unsafe setting since.
• People who have had tattoos, piercings, dental work or injections in unlicensed settings.
• People with known HIV or Hepatitis B.
• Dialysis patients.
• Healthcare workers with needle-stick injuries.
• People with chronic liver abnormalities on blood tests.
• Pregnant women with risk factors.
• Household/sexual contacts of known cases.
• A one-time screening test in adulthood is reasonable for most.

Treatment

• Confirm active infection (not just past exposure) with HCV-RNA test.
• Assess liver damage with blood tests and FibroScan.
• Take the full course of DAA tablets as prescribed — 8-12 weeks is typical.
• Cure is confirmed with a blood test 3 months after finishing treatment.
• Even after cure, people with significant liver scarring need regular monitoring for liver cancer.
• There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C (unlike A and B) — prevention through safe injections, screened blood and safer practices remains the key.

If you know someone who was ever told they were Hepatitis C positive, or has unexplained chronic liver tests, push for a retest and treatment. It is one of the biggest "hidden" problems in Indian medicine today — and one of the few where a short course of pills genuinely cures.