Hepatitis C is a viral infection that infects approximately 3% of the world's population. It is a chronic infection in most cases and replicates mainly in liver hepatocytes and blood cells. The virus is transmitted through blood and spreads through various means such as sharing needles or medical equipment contaminated with infected blood. While there is no vaccine, antiviral drug treatments involving interferon and ribavirin can successfully treat the infection in 30-50% of patients.

3. Hepatitis A causes an acute hepatitis that
almost always gets better on its own. It is
easily spread from person to person, in
food and water, and can infect many
people at once .
Hepatitis B can be both
acute (short-term illness) and chronic
( ongoing illness), and is spread through
blood or other body fluids in various ways
Hepatitis C is almost always chronic and
spreads only by blood. Hepatitis A and B
can be prevented by vaccination, but not
Hepatitis C .

4. Hepatitis c is a viral infection of the liver which had been referred to as parentally transmitted

5. Approximately 3% of the world’s population infected with HCV. In the US, many of whom are still undiagnosed.
In Egypt the situation is quite worse.

6. The half life of the virus particles in the serum is around 3 hours and may be as short as 45 minutes. In an infected person, about 1012 virus particles are produced each day. In addition to replicating in the liver the virus can multiply in lymphocytes.

7. The virus replicates mainly in the hepatocytes of the liver,
The virus may also replicate in The blood cells which are a critical component in the immune system, due to high levels of immunological disorders found in chronically infected HCV patients as the following stages :
the mutation rate produces so many fast ,however virus C it is considered as self-replicating.
As the following stages >>

8. 1-Entry and receptors binding :
Entry into host cells occur through complex interactions between virions and cell-surface molecules.
2- Polyprotien prosseing:
HCV takes over portions of the intracellular machinery to replicate by protease enzyme ( hydrolyze the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein) proteins then take the virus into the RNA replication process .... 3- Replication :
RNA replication takes places via the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase
New virus particles released into the secretory pathway at the cell surface.
The virus replicates on intracellular membranes especially in The endoplasmic reticulum .
4- Virion Assembly :
The large pre-protein is later cut by cellular and viral proteases into the 10 smaller proteins that allow viral replication within the host cell, or assemble into the original viral particles.

11. 1- sharing needles.
2-using non sterile instruments and needle for tattooing
3-receiving organs such as: kidney liver or pancreas from a donor who is infected with HCV
4-Blood transfusion which used to be a major way that HCV was spread

12. - 5-sharing personal care items such as:
scissors-nail clipper or toothbrush with an infected person
6-transmission from medical and dental equipments
7-sexual behavior
8- occupational exposures: health care workers who have
exposure to blood are at risk of infection

18. About 80% of those exposed to the virus develop a chronic infection.
Viral replication for at leaset six months.

19. Chronic infection after several years may cause cirrhosis or liver cancer
Hepatitis c will develop a chronic infection (asymptomatic).

22. 1- diagnostic tests commercially available today are based on enzyme immuno sorbant assays (ELA)for detection of HCV specific antibodies.
2- recombinant immuno blot assay (RIBA) that identifies antibodies which react with individual HCV antigen
3-testing for HCV circulating by amplification tests RNA (e.g polymerase chain reaction).

23. Antiviral drugs such as interferon taken alone or in combination with ribavirin, can be used for the treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis C, but the cost of treatment is very high. Treatment with interferon alone is effective in about 10% to 20% of patients. Interferon combined with ribavirin is effective in about 30% to 50% of patients
Three different types of drugs are used to treat hepatitis C: peginterferon, ribavirin, and hepatitis C protease inhibitors. Peginterferon can work by itself, but ribavirin cannot.

26. direct exposure to infected blood.
Sexual exposure
Transmission of HCV to others may obtained by :
Perinatal exposure

27. How to Reduce risk for disease ??? and available prevention : 1- Test persons at risk for HCV and determine infection status . 2- Consulting and medical evaluation to : -prevent further harm to liver. -prevent transmission to others .

28. 3- Don’t share items as : razors , toothbrush , or needles .( direct blood exposure ) 4- Avoid donate unscreened organs or blood , other tissue , or semen . ( direct blood exposure ) 5- Cover cuts or sores on the skin. 6- Avoid direct exposure to persons use illegal drugs .

30. Notice That !!!!!