Anyone here have it? My stepsister just found out she has it, she's an IV drug user. I wondered what percentage of people does it just go dormant in. Also in what percentage does it cause cirrhosis?
2006-08-13 15:53:25 · 3 answers · asked by ? 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ STDs
Once infected, it may be many years before the virus is activated. As long as the virus remains dormant inside the liver cell, it avoids immune system detection, yet, when activated, it can cause the immune system to attack the liver cells causing liver tissue damage. Any number of factors may set off or trigger a dormant hepatitis virus, such as a drinking binge, exposure to toxic chemicals, overdosage of prescription or over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, stress, a depleted immune system and even trans-activation (one virus activating another). Minimizing these factors can help to reduce the virus' impact.
It is estimated that 75% of those infected will be infected for life. According to the Center for Disease Control, between 20% and 50% will go on to develop cirrhosis (a scarring of the liver).
2006-08-13 16:03:41 · answer #1 · answered by crazzkc24 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_C
2006-08-13 22:59:00 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
whats that mommy????
2006-08-13 22:57:20 · answer #3 · answered by gremlin_boon 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋