Hepatitis C: A Contagious Pulmonary Disease

Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease (infection) caused by the Hepatitis C virus. This disease is spread from person to person through blood contact and bodily fluids. You cannot transmit it or catch it by shaking hands or hugging. A mother who has Hepatitis C can pass it to her baby during birth both by caesarean or vaginal delivery, although there is only a 5-10% chance. There is no research showing that breastfeeding is a current risk of passing the virus from mother to child. Hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver. This inflammation can be mild or severe. There are currently around 4 million people infected with chronic Hepatitis C in the US. For those who have Hepatitis C 8 out of 10 will develop chronic Hepatitis C. No one is …show more content…
There are risk factors that can get a person infected with Hepatitis C. These include organ transplant, blood products (plasma, platelets, immune globulin etc.) or blood transfusions before 1992. Those who have used needles to inject drugs into themselves snorted drugs through a tube or stew, and those who have had multiple sexual partners that could have resulted in blood to blood exposure. People who work in health care, gotten tattoos or piercings from unsterile tools. Sharing of person items such as toothbrushes or razors are risk factors as well. The CSC also recommends that those born between 1945-1965 get tested as well, along with people who have been …show more content…
The Hepatitis C Antibody Test and The Hepatitis C RNA Qualitative Test. The Hepatitis C Antibody Test is screening test on your blood to see if you have ever had Hepatitis C. The tests check to see if antibodies are detected in your blood. If the test shows negative, then you have never been exposed to Hepatitis C and more testing is not necessary. If the test is positive, then you have had Hepatitis C at one time or another but does not shoe if you have it now. This is when you would get the Hepatitis C RNA Qualitative Test done. This test will show if you currently are infected with Hepatitis C. It looks for the genetic material of Hepatitis C in your blood. If the test is positive this means you currently have Hepatitis C. If the test is negative, then you may have been exposed sometime in the past and your body cleared it on its own. There is also a test called Hepatitis C RNA Quantitative Test. This test shows the amount of Hepatitis C present in the blood. This is used to see how a person is responding to treatment for the virus. It compares how much of the virus is in your system before, during, and after treatment. If the levels show a decrease after treatment, then you may have a greater chance of getting rid of the virus. A CLIA Waived test called OraQuick HCV Rapid Antibody Test can also be done. This test can be done in the office and you are able to do the test with oral fluid,