Viral hepatitis strikes thousands of Canadians resulting in short-term illness, chronic infections, and even life-threatening consequences. One of the three most common forms of viral hepatitis is hepatitis C.

Hepatitis is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus that attacks the liver. Many people who become infected with hepatitis C never feel sick and recover completely. Others get a brief, acute illness with fatigue and loss of appetite and their skin and eyes turn yellow (a condition called “jaundice”). If your body is not able to fight off the virus, you may develop chronic hepatitis which can lead to cirrhosis (liver scarring), liver failure and even liver cancer later in life. Like chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C is a “silent” disease because often no symptoms appear until your liver is severely damaged.

The hepatitis C virus is usually spread when someone comes into contact with blood from an infected person. This can happen through sharing drug-injection equipment. Today, most people become infected with hepatitis C by sharing needles, syringes, or any other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs, also includes sharing pipes and straws for snorting.