It is important to realize that chronic hepaptis C infection is now the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver failure requiring liver transplantation, replacing the former number one: alcoholic liver disease.
So it is critical that persons with (often asymptomatic) chronic hepatitis C be diagnosed at the earliest possible time. That is because we now have curative therapy for chronic hepatitis C which can if initiated in time, prevent the development of cirrhosis and liver failure.
See Testing Recommendations for Hepatitis C Virus Infection from the Centers for Disease Control. The following is from that web page:
Persons for Whom HCV Testing Is Recommended
- Adults born from 1945 through 1965 should be tested once (without prior ascertainment of HCV risk factors)
- HCV testing is recommended for those who:
- Currently injecting drugs
- Ever injected drugs, including those who injected once or a few times many years ago
- Have certain medical conditions, including persons:
- who received clotting factor concentrates produced before 1987
- who were ever on long-term hemodialysis
- with persistently abnormal alanine aminotransferase levels (ALT)
- who have HIV infection
- Were prior recipients of transfusions or organ transplants, including persons who:
- were notified that they received blood from a donor who later tested positive for HCV infection
- received a transfusion of blood, blood components, or an organ transplant before July 1992
- HCV- testing based on a recognized exposure is recommended for:
- Healthcare, emergency medical, and public safety workers after needle sticks, sharps, or mucosal exposures to HCV-positive blood
- Children born to HCV-positive women
Note: For persons who might have been exposed to HCV within the past 6 months, testing for HCV RNA or follow-up testing for HCV antibody is recommended.
Persons for Whom Routine HCV Testing Is of Uncertain Need
- Recipients of transplanted tissue (e.g., corneal, musculoskeletal, skin, ova, sperm)
- Intranasal cocaine and other non-injecting illegal drug users
- Persons with a history of tattooing or body piercing
- Persons with a history of multiple sex partners or sexually transmitted diseases
- Long-term steady sex partners of HCV-positive persons
Persons for Whom Routine HCV Testing Is Not Recommended
(unless they have risk factors for infection):
- Health-care, emergency medical, and public safety workers
- Pregnant women
- Household (nonsexual) contacts of HCV-positive persons
- General population
Additional Resources:
Hepatitis C Online “Hepatitis C Online is a free educational web site from the University of Washington. The site is a comprehensive resource that addresses the diagnosis, monitoring, and management of hepatitis C virus infection.”