Virologie & Mycologie
Libre accès

Abstrait

Contagiousness of Hepatitis C: A Multifaceted Systemic Disorder with Health, Patient-Reported and Economic Ramifications

Priyanka Singh*

About 170-200 million people worldwide are infected by Hepatitis C Virus infection (HCV). HCV is one of the main causes of cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and has been established in most Western countries as the leading indication for liver transplantation. It is necessary for healthcare practitioners to consider the detailed and multi-faceted image of this disease since HCV is a chronic disease with hepatic, extrahepatic, economic and patientreported effects. In this sense, the influence of HCV on the particular patient and the community must be thoroughly understood. The long-standing target of eradicating HCV in most affected patients has been reached with the recent introduction of the latest wave of direct antiviral medications. Therefore, evaluating the cumulative benefits of continuous virological reaction in a systematic way is more important now than ever. This should not be limited to the therapeutic effects of treating HCV, but should also be taken into consideration in improving the health and economic results of treating HCV identified by patients. It is only by this holistic approach to HCV and its management that we can grasp the true effect of this disease and the enormous progress made with the current antiviral regimens.