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Hepatitis C infection facts

• HCV is one of several viruses that cause hepatitis (inflammation of the liver).
• Up to 85% of individuals who are initially (acutely) infected with HCV will fail to eliminate the virus and will become chronically infected.
• HCV is spread most commonly through inadvertent exposure to infected blood. Intravenous drug abuse is the most common mode of transmission. The risk of acquiring HCV through sexual contact is low.
• Generally, patients do not develop symptoms of chronic infection with HCV until they have extensive scarring of the liver (cirrhosis). Some individuals, however, may have fatigue and other non-specific symptoms in the absence of cirrhosis. A minority of patients with HCV have symptoms from organs outside of the liver.
• In the U.S., Infection with HCV is the most common cause of chronic hepatitis and the most common reason for liver transplantation.
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