What is it?
A viral infection, hepatitis C causes inflammation of the liver. Unlike for hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
How is it spread?
Through contact with blood of an infected person. Most cases are contracted through the sharing of drug-taking equipment. Sharing of razors and toothbrushes is also a risk.
It can be passed on through sex; this is more likely to happen among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, those living with HIV, those with other sexually transmitted infections and if there is bleeding during sex. Some infections occur in non-professional tattoo settings.
What are the symptoms?
In the early stages, before damage to the liver sets in, there may be no obvious or just mild signs. This is why there is often a big time lag between infection and diagnosis. Fatigue or “brain fog” may be experienced, also loss of appetite for some.
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About one in four people with hepatitis C gets fully better without any treatment. However, most people will carry the virus for many years, or even for the rest of their lives, if they are not treated.
How is it diagnosed?
Generally through a blood test but a quick and easy oral swab has become a useful screening tool over the last few years. The oral test can be done at home and will indicate within 20 minutes whether a person is clear or needs further testing through a blood sample.
The blood test is usually done in two stages. Firstly, the blood is tested for hepatitis C antibodies; a positive result indicates the person has had hepatitis C at some time. A second test is then needed to see if the virus is still present.
How is it treated?
Oral treatments with direct-acting antiviral medication have been a game-changer. These were approved in Ireland in late 2014 and the cure rate is over 95 per cent. The course of treatment lasts eight to 12 weeks, depending on the type of hepatitis C.
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What damage does long-term hepatitis C infection do?
Without treatment, about one in five people with chronic infection develop cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver after 20-30 years. They may then suffer liver failure or cancer of the liver. Meanwhile, they may have inadvertently caused others to acquire the infection.
What is the extent of hepatitis C in Ireland?
It is estimated that between 3,500 and 5,000 people are living with chronic hepatitis C. Between 2012 and 2024, notification rates of hepatitis C infections have dropped by 50 per cent. Nine cases per 100,000 population were reported in 2024.
Roughly two-thirds of infections occur in men, a third in women and the most likely age for reported cases is mid-40s.
- Source: HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre
