The hep C virus is a small, enveloped, single-stranded, RNA virus in the Flaviviridae family. The virus is able to enter liver cells from the blood and then use those cells to make more copies of the hep C virus. As more and more of the hep C virus is made in the liver cells, they can become damaged and may even die. Just as there are different types of hepatitis viruses, there are also a few different types of the hep C virus itself. Though they all cause hep C, each type of the virus has a slightly different arrangement of its genetic material, in this case called RNA. The specific arrangement of the RNA is called the genotype. The main hepatitis C genotypes are known simply as genotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Of these different genotypes, genotype 1 is the type most commonly found in the United States. Between 70 to 90 percent of Americans with hepatitis C have this genotype. Hepatitis C virus genotypes 2 and 3 are less common. Only 10 to 20 percent of infected people in the US have either of these genotypes.How Is Hep C Spread?The hep C virus is spread mostly through infected blood and blood products, whether it is from working in a laboratory or a dialysis unit, by infected needles used for tattoos or body piercing, or through sharing drug needles. In a very few cases, people have been infected with hepatitis C by sharing objects that may have a very tiny amount of blood on them, such as a toothbrush, razor, or tools used for manicures.
- Tattoo You? » AZ Dept. of Health Services Director’s Blog – Regardless of what you think about tattooing and body piercing- it’s clearly popular. Tattooing and body piercing are obviously invasive- which brings up the question: do these (now common) practices pose a health threat? Are they safe? The answer is simple. Like just about everything else in life- it can be safe as long as it’s done right.
- Pitt Chronicle » Hepatitis C Virus May Need Enzyme to Cause Liver … – A key enzyme may explain how hepatitis C infection causes fatty liver a buildup of excess fat in the liver that can lead to life-threatening diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer, report University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and School of Medicine researchers. The study, published in Hepatology, shows that an enzyme known to play a major role in lipid production, fatty acid synthase (FAS), was highly elevated in human liver cells exposed to the hepatitis C virus. While preliminary, the research suggests that testing for elevated levels of FAS could help determine which patients with hepatitis C virus may go on to develop more serious, long-lasting health consequences brought on by fatty liver.
- How To Avoid Common Liver Problems | Healthy Lifestyle – Your liver is located just under your rib cage on the right side of your abdomen, it’s about the size of a football, weighs 3 to 4 pounds and performs hundreds.
Tags: Hep C Virus, Hepatitis C, hepatitis c transmission, hepatitis symptoms, Hepatitis Treatment, Liver Disease, the chronic stage