What Are the Causes of Hepatitis C Infection?
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver that causes both acute and chronic liver disease. Symptoms of hepatitis C may include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, jaundice, fatigue and loss of appetite. Symptoms also may be vague or nonexistent. Hepatitis C is transmitted to others through contact with blood and body fluids. This may occur from sharing contaminated needles, exposure to blood products prior to 1992, needle stick injuries to health care workers, children born to infected mothers and sexual contact with an infected person. Unfortunately, no preventative vaccine for hepatitis C existed as of June 2010.
