Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that launches a slow, steady attack. It is a largely silent disease that doesn't make itself known until it has done serious damage. If left untreated, it may cause cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver and liver failure. In some cases, the damage is irreversible.

Unfortunately, many people who are infected with the hepatitis C virus don't even know it. That's because the disease can progress for years - even decades - without causing any symptoms. For some people, extreme fatigue is the only clue that they are not well.

Hepatitis C is transmitted through contact with blood, so anyone who had a blood transfusion or an organ transplant before 1992 may be at risk. Others at risk include those who have injected illegal drugs and those who have been on hemodialysis or who have otherwise come into direct contact with someone else's blood.

People with tattoos or multiple body piercings and those who have had sex with more than one partner may also be at risk.

"Nearly four million Americans are believed to be infected with hepatitis C and more alarming is that veterans, particularly Vietnam-era veterans, are four to five times more likely to have the virus," said former Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Togo D. West, Jr. "With veterans at such a high risk, VA has launched an all-out effort to identify and treat those with the virus."

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently designated an additional $20 million for outreach, testing, counseling and treating veterans with the virus. The money will be divided among the 22 regional healthcare networks based on each network's hepatitis C costs during the first half of fiscal year 2000.

It's important to find out if you are infected with hepatitis C for two main reasons:

1. You can learn how to avoid transmitting the disease to others.

2. You can be checked for liver disease and get any necessary treatment.

Once people get hepatitis C, they usually carry the virus for the rest of their lives. Screening for hepatitis C can be accomplished with a simple blood test.

If you have additional questions about hepatitis C or wonder if you should be tested for the disease, contact your VA primary care provider. For more information about VA's Hepatitis C Centers of Excellence and other programs, visit the VA web site at http://www.va.gov/hepatitisc/

Many people infected with hepatitis C don't even know they have it, allowing the disease to progress for years.



http://www.visn1.med.va.gov/