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Introduction
Hepatitis C is an infection due to the hepatitis C virus through contact with infected blood or by other means of transmission. Acute hepatitis C is self-limiting in approximately 10-50% of patients but may progress to chronic hepatitis C in about 50-85% of patients. Chronic hepatitis C is defined as hepatic inflammation continuing without improvement for at least 6 months. Approximately 5-20% of patients with chronic hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis, and 1-5% will develop hepatocellular carcinoma.
Epidemiology
Hepatitis C affects approximately 185 million individuals globally. The estimated number of individuals with hepatitis C in the Southeast Asia region is 10 million. This is most commonly acquired through IV drug use or poor medical practices in resource-limited areas of the world. Genotype 1 has been identified as the most dominant genotype globally; in Asia, genotypes 1, 3, and 6 are predominant. Approximately 50 million individuals worldwide have chronic hepatitis C virus infection in 2024, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) with an estimated 9.1 million individuals found in South-East Asia region. The incidence of acute hepatitis C is highest among individuals aged 30 to 39 years old. Hepatitis C is more prevalent in males than in females.
Risk Factors
The risk factors for the development of hepatitis C are injection drug use, blood transfusion, body piercings or tattoos done with nonsterile instruments, occupational exposure in healthcare workers, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.