County and local health leaders today highlighted the work being done by the Eliminate Hepatitis C San Diego County Initiative as part of World Hepatitis Day.
Established in Nov. 2018, the Eliminate Hepatitis C San Diego County Initiative is an effort to reduce new infections of hepatitis C by 80% and deaths by 65% by 2030.
In San Diego County, about 3,400 hepatitis C cases are reported each year. Also, there are about 54,000 San Diegans who have the viral infection but do not know it.
Hepatitis C, for which there is no vaccine, is a serious liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus, different from the viruses that cause hepatitis A and B.
The virus typically goes unnoticed since most people who contract it will not show symptoms until they develop long-term complications. Acute hepatitis C typically occurs within six months of exposure and symptoms include fever, fatigue, dark urine, nausea, vomiting and jaundice.