Hepatitis C (HCV), a single stranded RNA virus from the family Flaviviridae, now accounts for more disease and death that does human immunodeficiency virus HIV/AIDS. Approximately 3 million individuals within the United States are currently suffering from what was once and unknown and untreatable virus. Non-A and non-B hepatitis are two forms of the virus that were prevalent back in the 1970’s. It was commonly acquired via blood transfusion as well as through hemodialysis methods of renal failure patients (Klevens et al., 2012). Today, the most common means of transmission are through intravenous drug use, needle stick injuries in a health care setting, and transmission from mother to fetus during birth (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2013a).
Humans serve as the only natural host for Hepatitis C (Pawlotsky, 2004). They invasion of hepatitis C at the cellular level is not fully understood, but it is known that the virion infection is a multiphase process that includes virus entry, transcription of genomic RNA, translation of polyportein synthesis of negative strand RNA, followed by production of progeny genomic RNA and finally assembly and secretion of virons. When the virus invades the body, it targets the largest internal organ of the human body; the liver (Chang et al., 2012).
The liver is a functionally complex but a simple structure located on the right side of the body where it is attached to the diaphragm. It has two lobes with two blood supplies: the hepatic artery which takes in oxygen rich blood from the heart and the portal vein which supplies the liver with nutrient-rich blood from the digestive tract. These blood supplies merge into the sinusoids and then further to the hepatocytes and Kupper cells...
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The Hepatitis C Trust. (2013a). The Chronic Phase. Retrieved from: http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/Hepatitis_C_Info/Stages+of+Hepatitis+C/The+chronic+phase
The Hepatitis C Trust. (2013b). Treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.hepctrust.org.uk/Treatment/Considering+Treatment/Considering+treatment
United States Department of Veterans Affair. (2013). Liver enzymes. Retrieved from: http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/patient/basics/liver-enzymes.asp
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A person infected with Hepatitis A will take weeks to months to recover. During recover an infected person will receive supportive care and therapy. A patient should remain on bed rest and receive well balanced nutrition. Patient should be restricted from school and or work until fever is reduced and jaundice diminishes. If patient is vomiting and or has diarrhea, they can be treated with antiemetic medications. Also, an adequate water intake is necessary. An infected person should avoid alcohol and limit consumption of drugs that are damaging to the liver, such as acetaminophen. Hospitalization is rare during the treatment of Hepatitis A. (Matheney, 2012; Gilroy,
Properties of the virus: The hepatitis A virus is a non - enveloped 27 nano meters in size, virus. It is characterized as a RNA based virus. Inactivation of viral activity can be achieved by heating to 100 °C for five minutes, and by contact with formaldehyde and chlorine or by ultraviolet irradiation. The virus is present in the liver, bile, stool and blood during the illness.
We need to understand the structure of the virus, the viral genome, and how it causes the disease, and also to better understand the body’s immune response to the infection. Hepatitis B is a hepadnavirus, (slectron emicroscopy image), with a 42 nm virion. The virion is a double shelled spherical particle and consists of smaller rods and spheres each with an average 22 nm diameter. Not surprisingly the virus is very resistant and survives in high temperatures and is known to have been sequenced from 400 year old mummified
Kanwal, F., Hoang, T., Kramer, J. R., Asch, S. M., Goetz, M. B., Zeringue, A., Richardson, P., & El-Serag, H. B. (2011). Increasing prevalence of HCC and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Gastroenterology, 140(4), 1182-1188. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2010.12.032.
As chronic viral hepatitis has a high prevalence in patients with HIV, clinicians should assess the risk of development of hepatotoxicity in these patients whenever HAART is initiated.7
Hepatitis B is a DNA viral infection that causes damage and inflammation to the liver. It was first discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg. The HBV virus is very contagious and is even thought to be the most serious form of viral hepatitis and the most common viral infection on Earth. “HBV is 100 times more infectious than HIV.” (Green, 2002, pg. 7) The virus can survive for about one week outside the body on a dry surface. According to Green (2002, pg. 7), “One in twenty Americans has been infected with the virus at some point in their lives.” Between the ages of 15-39 is when 75% of new HBV infections occur, according to Green (2002, pg.8).
The signs and symptoms of blood borne pathogens vary based on the type of disease it is and the ability of a person’s immune system to fight it off. In most cases hepatitis B does not need to be treated and the body can fight it off on its own. However a long-term infection can develop in some people that can cause liver damage. There is a vaccination available to prevent acquiring the disease. The signs and symptoms for hepatitis C are usually mild. It can take two weeks to six months after contact before signs begin to show, or there may not be any symptoms at all. Hepatitis C typically becomes is a long-term infection and after many years will cause liver ...
“Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver.”("What Is Hepatitis?") There are three main types of hepatitis. These include hepatitis A, B, and C. These three types of hepatitis cause the most concern to medical staff due to their ability to spread and cause outbreaks. “Hepatitis A is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis A virus.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) It can range from acute to chronic. An individual can become infected with hepatitis A if they eat or drink food or water that has been contaminated with the virus. Some common “sources of vitamin A include shellfish, fruits, vegetables, ice and water”. (U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Hepatitis A.”) Hepatitis B is a serious, endemic, worldwide disease that can occur at any age. (Wilkins 45) The hepatitis B virus causes hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B is transmitted though contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. (U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Hepatitis B.”) Hepatitis C...
An estimated 242,251 Canadians, and 150 million people worldwide are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus, and more than 350 000 people die every year from hepatitis C-related liver diseases.1 Hepatitis C can lead to other serious diseases, such as liver failure, death, etc. But without any vaccines available to prevent the contraction of the disease, it may be hard to avoid. Due to disease generally being asymptomatic many people are unaware that they have it, further spreading the disease because of a lack of prevention mechanisms. Hepatitis C when developed chronically can cause serious affects on the liver, which may even lead to death. With hepatitis C being such a serious disease, it is important that more people be tested for it so they can start treatment in the early stages of the disease, as well as be aware and informed, before it becomes a chronic infection leading to serious complications.
Hepatitis A is caused by a virus that infected the liver cells which spread when people eat and drink something contaminated with feces. According to Mayo Clinic, the virus can spread by eating food when someone with the virus does not thoroughly wash their hands after using the restroom, drinking water that has been infected with feces, eating raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage, being in close contact with someone who is infected even if the person has no symptoms, and having sexual partners who have the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a hep A vaccine is recommended for homosexual men, laboratory workers, people who use illegal drugs, people with chronic liver disease, and people who travel the world. Cases of hepatitis A are not distinct from other types of acute viral hepatitis. According to WHO, specific diagnosis are made by the detection of Hepatitis A Virus (HAV)-specific Immunoglobulin G (IgM) antibodies in the blood. Additional tests include reverse
disease than hepatitis B. While at least half of the patients with acute hepatitis C
Hepatitis In modern society when a person gets sick with the flu or a cold they will usually go about their normal routine with the exception of a sneeze or a cough throughout the day. Sometimes things can be more than what they appear to be. The symptoms start out like the flu with coughing, fever, aches, and vomiting. However, the disease gradually worsens with symptoms of extreme weakness and excruciating abdominal pain. By then it is usually too late when the person finds out that their liver is failing and that there disease is caused by one of the most contagious, dangerous and deadliest of viruses. These viruses that were initially concealed by flu like symptoms are now known collectively as the disease of Hepatitis. The disease of Hepatitis is actually by six different types of viral infections, namely, Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, and G. Hepatitis descries the destructive affect of the viral invasion of the body and liver by six and separate viruses. Each type of viral infection varies from one to another in degree of severity. The names of the viruses are in alphabetical order corresponding to their discovery. There is also a non-viral Hepatitis which is caused by substance. One rumor that has spread about hepatitis is that a person can only contract Hepatitis if associated with HIV or AIDS. This is not true! Any one can become infected with Hepatitis. Unfortunately this is about all most people know of Hepatitis. They need to know the full horror of which the virus is capable. The first of the Hepatitis viral infection to be discovered is Hepatitis A. Hep. A is the mild mannered virus compared to the other viruses. It has the symptoms of influenza, fever, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weakening of body, but it does have some differences such as jaundice (a yellowing pigmentation of the skin and whites of the eyes) and urine appears to be a darker color. Jaundice is caused by an abundance of bilirubon which has not been removed from the blood system due to the infected liver. Hep. A does not have any special medications or antibiotics that can be used to treat or prevent this unpleasant virus. Some ways of avoiding this viral infection include washing the hands very carefully and not eating food or drink of others. People living in the same house or having close contact should clean the area very thoroughly.
The primary cause of hepatic cirrhosis in the United States is long-term alcoholism. Men respond differently than women to alcohol. With women one or two drinks a day can cause them liver damage. Men can consume two to five drinks a day and be ok. One drink a day can create liver scarring. So like everything else in life it varies, it might affect everyone differently. The individual who drinks alcohol on a daily basis, or more often then others have a higher risk of developing cirrhosis. Hepatic cirrhosis has also been linked to serious liver infections such as hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Patients who are HIV positive have died from developing cirrhosis through the hepatitis virus. Other causes of cirrhosis come from reactions to prescribed medications, injuries to the liver, exposure to toxic substances, and episodes of heart failure with liver congestion. Obt...
There is a disease spreading out in the world called Hepatitis C. It affects the liver and may cause the liver to fail. This disease is caused by a virus called Hepatitis C virus which is also known as HCV. About 32,000 people are affected with this disease per year only in the United States area. Some It’s a disease with many symptoms and many causes. of these symptoms are easy bruising, upset stomach and fever. These are just some of the many symptoms that come from the virus. Hepatitis Cs nature of the causative agent is determined by many things. The biological data of this disease is filled so much information. It is estimated that over 180 million people have gotten Hepatitis C and it is growing.