Posted: September 4th, 2022
Hepatitis C Virus
Hepatitis C Virus
The selected microbe is Hepatitis C Virus. The microbe is the cause of Hepatitis C. The microbe causes chronic and acute infections. The infection involves liver inflammation causing severe liver damage (Indolfi et al., 2019). The disease is transferred from one person to another when blood from an infected person comes into contact with an uninfected person.
The disease causes various complications such as cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure. Patients with cirrhosis experience difficulties in the proper functioning of the liver (Indolfi et al., 2019). The overall impact of the virus on the liver can lead to death.
The effect of the disease on the body of a patient includes bleeding easily, fatigue, itchy skin, weight, confusion, drowsiness, bruising easily, and swelling of the legs (Indolfi et al., 2019). When patients first get the virus, the body starts with an acute phase. The acute phase may start causing muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, and fever. Patients can experience acute symptoms one to three months after the exposure (Indolfi et al., 2019). The virus may not always trigger chronic symptoms since the body can react causing clearance of the virus. Patients can be given antiviral therapy triggering clearance. Studies show that 15 to 25 percent of the patients successfully realize clearance of the virus (Indolfi et al., 2019).
Patients with the hepatitis C virus can receive treatment using direct-acting antiviral (DAA) tablets. The tablets are the best method of treating the virus with over 90 percent success (Vermehren et al., 2018). Patients take the tablets for 8 to 12 weeks. Other methods of treatment include sofosbuvir with ledipasvir (Harvoni); sofosbuvir (Sovaldi); daclatasvir (Daklinza); and ribavirin (Ibavyr) (Vermehren et al., 2018).
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C virus but the best option for prevention is to avoid contact with contaminated blood (Vermehren et al., 2018). For instance, people should avoid sharing injections since they are the common transmission route for the virus.
References
Indolfi, G., Easterbrook, P., Dusheiko, G., El-Sayed, M. H., Jonas, M. M., Thorne, C., … & Penazzato, M. (2019). Hepatitis C virus infection in children and adolescents. The lancet Gastroenterology & hepatology, 4(6), 477-487.
Vermehren, J., Park, J. S., Jacobson, I. M., & Zeuzem, S. (2018). Challenges and perspectives of direct antivirals for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection. Journal of hepatology, 69(5), 1178-1187.
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Hepatitis C Virus