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Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. Many people notice nothing at first, but without a test you cannot know whether you are infected. Nowadays, the infection can usually be cured effectively with medicines prescribed by a doctor. There is still no vaccine. Infection mainly spreads through blood-to-blood contact, and testing matters after a possible risk, including during or around pregnancy.

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  • Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. Many people feel normal at first. The diagnosis is therefore often only made after a blood test or because liver blood test results are abnormal.
  • Nowadays, the infection can usually be cured effectively with medicines prescribed by a doctor. This matters because a long-term infection can eventually cause scarring in the liver.
  • There is still no vaccine against hepatitis C. Someone who has been cured can become infected again later if there is further blood-to-blood contact with the virus.
  • Infection mainly spreads through blood. Simply eating together, hugging, coughing or sharing a toilet is not a usual route of transmission.
  • In Curaçao, contact your GP (family doctor) during the day, HAP 9252, the out-of-hours GP service, outside normal opening hours for urgent symptoms, and Ambulance 912 only in an immediate life-threatening emergency.

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Further reading

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Q
Q feverQ fever is an infection caused by the bacterium Coxiella burnetii. Infection usually occurs by inhaling contaminated dust or small droplets around animals, especially goats, sheep or cattle. Many people have no symptoms, but pneumonia, liver inflammation and persistent or localised infection are possible.
H
Hepatitis BHepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that can spread through blood, sexual contact and from mother to baby around birth. The infection can be acute, but can also become chronic and silently damage the liver for years. Vaccination, testing contacts who may have been exposed and good medical guidance are important; alcohol and unproven supplements do not help.
H
Hepatitis AHepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver, usually passed on through contaminated food, drink or hand-to-mouth contact. Many people recover fully, but you may feel very unwell for weeks to months, with tiredness, nausea, abdominal pain and sometimes jaundice. Becoming seriously unwell, drowsiness, inability to drink or rapidly turning yellow needs prompt medical assessment.