Incubation period hepatitis c virus

If the virus progresses to chronic HCV, doctors will administer new drugs called direct-acting antivirals. One of the challenges of HCV is that it can take months before the virus is discovered through testing. Incubation refers to the time between your first contact with the virus and the first signs of the disease.

Unlike the flu virus, which has an incubation period of less than a week, incubation for acute HCV can take between 14 to days.

The hepatitis C infection is considered chronic after days. The incubation period of HCV differs from that of other types of hepatitis. The incubation period for hepatitis A HAV is 15 to 50 days. The incubation period for hepatitis B HBV is 45 to days. HAV, for example, is transmitted through the ingestion of fecal matter. A microscopic bit of fecal matter can be transmitted through close contact or sexual contact with an infected person. It can also be transmitted through the consumption of food or beverages that are contaminated.

HBV travels through contact with bodily fluids, including blood and semen. It can be transmitted by sharing needles or having sexual contact with a person who has the virus. A baby born to a mother living with HBV is also at a high risk of contracting the virus.

A small percentage of people with HCV develop noticeable symptoms within a few months after incubation. These include:. If the virus remains undetected and untreated, those symptoms plus others are more likely to appear years after incubation. Other signs and symptoms include:. More than 90 per cent of infections with HCV are asymptomatic.

The main mode of transmission is via blood-to-blood contact. There is no vaccine available for hepatitis C.

This is a Victorian statutory requirement. Identification of hepatitis C Clinical features More than 90 per cent of infections with HCV are asymptomatic, and acute infection may only be detected in patients following the investigation of elevated liver enzymes. Incubation period of hepatitis C virus The incubation period ranges from 2 weeks to 6 months. Public health significance and occurrence of hepatitis C Hepatitis C occurs worldwide.

Reservoir of hepatitis C virus Humans are the reservoir. Mode of transmission of hepatitis C virus Hepatitis C is primarily transmitted by blood-to-blood contact. Routes of transmission include: use of nonsterile injecting equipment needlestick injury or other parenteral inoculation; this includes blood and blood product transfusions before blood-bank screening some household activities, such as sharing razors or toothbrushes very rare invasive procedures with inadequate infection control e.

Period of communicability of hepatitis C Communicability is from 1 or more weeks before the onset of symptoms, and during the acute clinical stage of HCV infection. Susceptibility and resistance to hepatitis C All nonimmune people are susceptible to infection. Control measures for hepatitis C Preventive measures All healthcare providers with potential contact with blood or body fluids should use standard precautions. Control of case All people diagnosed with HCV infection should be reviewed by a hepatitis specialist either a gastroenterologist or an infectious diseases physician , and an assessment made of the likelihood of disease progression.

This counselling should include: exploring the likely source of the infection current knowledge of the natural history possible symptoms advice on prevention of further transmission of infection lifestyle issues, such as immunisation against hepatitis A and B, minimisation of alcohol intake, cessation of smoking and healthy diet.

The patient should be advised not to: donate blood or body organs use nonsterile injecting equipment share personal items such as toothbrushes or razors. They should also be advised to: consider discussing their condition with their healthcare provider when undergoing any dental or medical procedure wipe up any blood spills with single-use disposable paper towels, and clean the area with detergent and warm water cover any cuts or wounds with an occlusive waterproof dressing place bloodstained paper tissues, sanitary towels or dressings in a plastic bag before disposal use safer sex practices.

People in long-term stable relationships will need to discuss condom use with their healthcare provider. Control of contacts There is no vaccine available for the prevention of hepatitis C. Post-exposure prophylaxis with immunoglobulin has no role. Control of environment Not applicable. Outbreak measures for hepatitis C Not applicable. Special settings Healthcare workers Registration boards should be consulted in relation to their policies regarding healthcare workers with bloodborne viruses.

Antenatal care Antenatal care should include a comprehensive assessment of hepatitis C risk factors. Other settings All workplaces should have policies and procedures in place regarding action to be taken in the event of a blood spill or sharps injury.

In this topic. To diagnose a hepatitis C infection, doctors use a hepatitis C antibody test, which is a blood test. If they have, this indicates that they have had the infection at some point in their lives.

Some people have the infection at some time, but their immune system eliminates the virus after a few months. In others, the body is unable to fight off the virus, leading to chronic hepatitis C infection. Many people will not experience any symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly.

A non-reactive or negative test result will generally indicate that a person does not have HCV. However, if the person has the test during the window period, they could receive inaccurate results. If the person knows when exposure occurred, a doctor may recommend waiting a few weeks before repeating the test. A reactive or positive result tells a doctor that the person has had an HCV infection at some point in their lives. The result indicates that their body has created antibodies to fight the virus.

However, this does not mean that a person still has active HCV. Even if their immune system has eliminated the virus, they will still have the antibodies. Experts are still unsure how much immunity a person has if they have had and recovered from HCV. Some research suggests that having antibodies does not prevent a person from getting the infection again. However, having antibodies may offer some protection and may help the body eliminate the virus more effectively a second time.

This test measures the amount of the virus in the blood. A small percentage of patients develop extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C, including cryoglobulinemia and glomerulonephritis. Once cirrhosis develops, symptoms are more common and the signs of end-stage liver disease can appear with jaundice, weakness, wasting, and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Patients with cirrhosis are also at risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma.