Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is an infectious disease caused by hepatitis C virus (HCV), a human viral infection that primarily involves the liver ^[1][2]. The available sources characterize it as a viral hepatitis and note that it is part of the broader category of viral hepatitis addressed in pregnancy guidance ^[2][4]. The structured source metadata identifies the condition as viral hepatitis with ICD-10 B17.1 and ICD-11 1E50.2 [disease metadata].

Source material indicates that initial infection is often mild or asymptomatic, and early symptoms may include fever, dark urine, abdominal pain, and jaundice ^[2]. Chronic infection is often silent early on, but over time it can lead to liver disease and cirrhosis, and in some cases to severe complications such as liver failure, liver cancer, or dilated blood vessels in the esophagus and stomach ^[2]. The same source notes that many chronic infections remain minimally symptomatic for years, although fatigue and mild cognitive problems may occur ^[2]. Extrahepatic manifestations are also reported, including mixed cryoglobulinemia and several autoimmune or renal associations ^[2].

Hepatitis C virus infection occurs in all parts of the world ^[3]. The available sources do not provide a detailed burden estimate, age distribution, or country-level incidence pattern for this brief. One systematic review reports that hepatitis C has a substantial impact on health services, with associations with increased hospitalizations, length of stay, and readmissions ^[5]. In pregnancy-related guidance, the condition is presented as clinically relevant in pregnant and postpartum populations, including cases that predate pregnancy or first appear during pregnancy or the first year postpartum ^[4].

The principal transmission mechanism described in the sources is percutaneous exposure, indicating blood-to-blood spread ^[3]. The same epidemiology source notes that sexual and perinatal transmission may also occur ^[3]. In the pregnancy guideline, perinatal transmission is specifically identified as a relevant issue for clinical counseling and prevention planning ^[4].

Source-backed material specifically highlights pregnant and postpartum women, as well as individuals who screen positive for viral hepatitis infection, as groups of interest in clinical guidance ^[4]. More generally, the available sources indicate that people exposed through percutaneous blood contact are at risk, and that perinatal exposure can also occur ^[3]. The sources provided do not offer a more granular risk-group stratification beyond these groups ^[4][3].

The sources state that prevention remains an active area of public-health attention, with further study still needed to clarify transmission biology and develop vaccines ^[3]. The epidemiology source adds that new infections can be reduced by economic development and education regarding blood-borne infections ^[3]. Pregnancy guidance also frames prevention in terms of screening in pregnancy and the management of perinatal transmission risk ^[4].

In surveillance contexts, hepatitis C should be read as a globally distributed blood-borne viral infection with potential perinatal transmission and important chronic-care consequences ^[3][4]. The available evidence also suggests a measurable health-system burden through hospitalization-related outcomes, which may help interpret trends in inpatient utilization among people with HCV ^[5]. Source-backed detail is not yet available here on local case definitions, reporting thresholds, or routine surveillance intervals ^[4][3][5].

1. 1 Wikidata contributors. hepatitis C [Internet]. Wikidata. cited 20 May 2026. Available from: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154869
2. 2 Wikipedia contributors. Hepatitis C - Wikipedia [Internet]. Wikipedia. cited 20 May 2026. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_C
3. 3 Thomas DL et al. Hepatitis C epidemiology. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2000. PMID: 10592654. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-59605-6_2. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10592654/
4. 4 Viral Hepatitis in Pregnancy: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 6. Obstet Gynecol. 2023 Sep 1. PMID: 37590986. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000005300. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37590986/
5. 5 Ng M et al. Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Hospital-Related Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Can J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2024. PMID: 38487594. doi: 10.1155/2024/3325609. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38487594/
6. 6 Hepatitis Viruses: Hepatitis B and Hepatitis D. Viral Infections of Humans. 2022. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9544-8_32-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9544-8_32-1

ICD-10

B17.1

ICD-11

1E50.2

Total cases

3.8M

Total deaths

10K

Peak month

2018-01

Coverage

8 reporting countries · 2000-01-01 → 2026-06-20