Introduction
Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver badly and if ignored can even lead to liver failure. Its main cause is the hepatitis C virus (HCV). There are many ways through which one can catch hold of this Virus. It is mostly caused due to exposure to blood, which means that one can catch this virus if he or she is exposed to the blood of a carrier of HCV, e.g., usage of the same syringes, same shaving blade, getting tattoos by unhygienic equipment, and many more.
The History of Hepatitis C
During the 1960s only two kinds of Hepatitis were known, A and B. The existence of HCV came to be noticed in the year 1975 by Feinstone et al. who found some cases which didn’t come under the first two Hepatitis. It was observed that unlike A and B, Hepatitis is C transmitted through very small agents, and finally, in 1989, a man named Houghten and his colleagues successfully cloned the genome of HCV and developed diagnostic tests. It was found out that Hepatitis C resulted in Acute and Chronic Hepatitis or Liver Cancer.
The Geographical Distribution
Hepatitis C is globally prevalent and is a leading cause of death. In 2016, approx. 3,99,000 died and WHO estimated that 71 million people have this virus. According to WHO the most affected regions are Eastern Mediterranean Region and European Region. There is no county free of HCV and work is still going on to find a cure for this deadly disease. Brazil, Egypt, Australia, and Georgia have been highlighted in many summits for their innovative work in the elimination of HCV and it is worth the appreciation, because soon some countries may get free of HCV and save millions of lives.
