Hepatitis C

Epidemiology Corner

May 21, 2004

May is International Hepatitis Awareness month. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that may be caused by several health factors including alcohol abuse, chemical exposure or viral infection. Hepatitis C is a specific form of hepatitis that is caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The Texas Department of Health estimates that 300,000 Texans are infected with HCV. Many people infected with HCV are unaware of their infection.

A person can carry the HCV infection for years before any symptoms of hepatitis appear. Initial infection is asymptomatic in 90 percent of cases. Although some people who are initially infected recover completely, persistent infection with HCV occurs in 75 percent to 85 percent of people. Among those with persistent infection, chronic hepatitis develops in 60 percent to 70 percent. Chronic liver disease including cirrhosis and cancer may result from chronic hepatitis C infection. The Centers for Disease Control lists chronic liver disease as the 10th leading cause of death among adults in the United States. Approximately, 40 percent of chronic liver disease cases are related to HCV.

All newly identified cases of hepatitis C are reportable in Texas. The Houston Department of Health and Human Services has received between 3,000 and 5,000 reports of Hepatitis C infection each year since 2000. The prevalence of hepatitis C in Houston has been estimated to be 2.3 percent. This number is based on a population of first time plasma donors from three plasma centers in Houston in 1992. The actual prevalence in Houston may be lower since the study population includes a higher percentage of IV drug abusers. Prevalence in the United States has been estimated to be 1.8 percent in the general population and 0.2 percent in children under the age of 12.

HCV is spread primarily by parenteral exposure to blood and blood products from HCV infected persons. A parenteral exposure is an internal exposure such as a puncture wound that does not occur through the digestive tract. Sexual transmission among monogamous couples is uncommon. Perinatal transmission from an infected mother to child only occurs in 5 percent of cases. Risk of perinatal transmission may increase in mothers coinfected with HIV.

For more information about hepatitis C visit the following websites:
Texas Department of Health http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/ideas/hepatitis/awareness/
Centers for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/index.htm