Hepatitis C Essay Example for Free

Hepatitis C EssayAbstractHepatitis C is an infection of the coloured arranged by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is difficult for the human immune system to eliminate the virus from the body, and infection with HCV usually becomes degenerative. Over decades, chronic infection with HCV damages the liver and can cause liver failure in some people. The hepatitis C virus is transmitted mainly by contact with blood or blood products. The Sharing of contaminated needles among drug users is the most common mode of transmission. In the U.S., more than terce million people are chronically infected with HCV. HCV is the track cause of liver transplantation in the U.S and is a adventure factor for liver cancer.Hepatitis CDescriptionHepatitis C was first identified in 1974. The virus that caused disease was not found until 1989 by Brendan Arena. The infection is sometimes called transfusion hepatitis. The name comes from nonpareil possible cause of the disease. It may be transmit ted on with blood used in blood transfusions. Since the identification of HCV, tests have been developed to identify the virus. Blood transfusions are no longer a major cause of the disease.Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver caused by a virus. Hepatitis in general is an inflammation of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection. The liver becomes in the buff and enlarged and is unable to function normally, As a result, toxins that would normally be filtered out by the liver build up in the body and certain nutrients are not processed and stored, as they should be. Hepatitis C is a slowly progressing disorder. In its more advanced stages it can lead to serious and permanent liver damage and even death.SymptomsThe symptoms of Hepatitis C are often very mild in the early stages and can be virtually undetectable. Hepatitis C infection involves an crafty initial phase of infection which is usually not noticed and lasts up to six months. During this phase, levels of the virus i n the blood rise dramatically until the bodys immune response starts producing antibodies. Although our antibodies fight the virus, in around 75% of cases the virus is not eliminated and approximately three out of four people are left with a chronic (long-term) infection A. Hepatitis infection can result in liver damage because as the virus reproduces in the liver over time, more and more liver cells are changed and destroyed causing scar create from raw material.This is called fibrosis. In a small percentage of people experiencing cirrhosis, Fibrosis can lead to a hardening of liver tissue which affects the normal function of the liver, this is called cirrhosis In a small percentage of people experiencing cirrhosis, the condition may lead to liver failure or liver cancer. Hepatitis C affects people differently. Some are not affected by it at all, while others can be affected seriously. Generally speaking, it is believed that around three out of four people with hepatitis C will n ot go on to develop cirrhosis. Over a 25-50 year period of infection, it is believed that less than one in ten people with hepatitis C would develop liver failure or liver cancer. 170 million people worldwide have Hepatitis C There is no cure for hepatitis C, but medications in some cases can suppress the virus for a long period of time.TreatmentsSome patients with hepatitis C public assistance from treatment with interferon alpha or a combination of sustained response rates and tolerability however, pegylated interferon will likely remain the backbone of therapy in the foreseeable future. world-wide research teams have discovered a genetic variation that could identify those people infected with hepatitis C who are most likely to benefit from legitimate treatments. Their genome-wide association study of people receiving hepatitis C treatment revealed that genetic variants near the interferon gene IL28B were associated with peoples response to treatment. Three per cent of the wor lds people are infected with hepatitis C and few are able to clear the virus without treatment. The standard treatment is a combination of pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin (PEG-IFN-alpha/RBV).ConclusionHepatitis C is a virus that causes acute accent and chronic hepatitis. Over 80% of persons who acquire hepatitis C develop chronic hepatitis. Persons who are chronically infected with hepatitis C are at an increased risk for the development of cirrhosis and liver cancer. No effective vaccine has been developed to prevent hepatitis C. Only one antiviral medication has been shown to be effective in the treatment of hepatitis C. Pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin combination is licensed for the treatment of hepatitis C, but only about 30% to 50% of persons treated recover completely from this infection.Referenceshttp//www.emedicinehealth.com/hepatitis c article/ em-htm /08/2009http//www.Faqs.org health/sick-v2 hepatitis c-descriptions html. Copy right 2009Walter and Eliza Hall Institute Sep 24,2009 Science daily.com/hepatitis treatmentNancy J. Nordeson The Gale Group 2002 http//www.gale encyclopedia of medicine.comhttp//www.medicalnews.com/ 08/2009/ articles hepatitis chttp//www.cdc.gov/ncidod/aip/research/hepatitis