hepatitis C

noun

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of hepatitis C

: an acute or chronic hepatitis that is caused by a flavivirus (species Hepatitis C virus of the genus Hepacivirus), is often asymptomatic in its early stages but may be marked by fatigue, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal tenderness, and muscle and joint pain, and is usually transmitted by infected blood (such as by injection of an illicit drug, blood transfusion, or exposure to blood or blood products)

Note: The acute or short-term stage of hepatitis C typically progresses to a long-term or chronic infection which often leads to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.

Recent Examples of hepatitis c from the Web

The patients’ transplanted livers had been previously damaged by hepatitis C infection.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Conatus liver drug disappoints in testing, shares fall," 6 Apr. 2018
All pregnant women in Kentucky would be tested for the dangerous liver disease hepatitis C under a bill that won final passage in the General Assembly on Thursday.

— laura ungar, The Courier-Journal, "Mandatory hepatitis C tests for all pregnant women approved by Kentucky lawmakers," 29 Mar. 2018
The strongest single predictor of the disease is chronic hepatitis C infection.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Testing for hepatitis C lags with baby boomers despite high infection rate," 27 Mar. 2018
In a setback for Gilead Sciences (GILD), Ukrainian authorities have rejected a key patent for the Sovaldi hepatitis C treatment, according to patient advocacy groups that challenged the patent filing.

— ed silverman, STAT, "Gilead patent for its Sovaldi hepatitis C drug is rejected in Ukraine," 21 Mar. 2018
Nearly 12,000 Michigan residents had chronic hepatitis C in 2016.

— ed white, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan settles lawsuit over access to hep C treatment," 14 Mar. 2018
Inmates with less advanced stages of hepatitis C would get treated within 18 months.

— katheleen conti, BostonGlobe.com, "Prisoners, Mass. reach settlement agreement for treatment of hepatitis C," 10 Mar. 2018
Roughly 30 percent — or more than 2,500 — Idaho prisoners are infected with hepatitis C, according to the department.

— rebecca boone, idahostatesman, "Almost 1/3 of Idaho prisoners have hepatitis C. State says it needs $3M to treat them.," 18 Jan. 2018
And in 2014-15, the rate of chronic hepatitis C cases jumped by more than 35 percent.

— ryan martin, Indianapolis Star, "Opioid epidemic: 10 Indiana cities suing pharmaceutical companies," 8 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hepatitis C.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of hepatitis c

1978

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

hepatitis C

noun \ -ˈsē \

medical Definition of hepatitis C

: an acute or chronic hepatitis that is caused by a flavivirus (species Hepatitis C virus of the genus Hepacivirus), is often asymptomatic in its early stages but may be marked by fatigue, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal tenderness, and muscle and joint pain, and is usually transmitted by infected blood (as by injection of an illicit drug, blood transfusion, or exposure to blood or blood products)

Note: The acute or short-term stage of hepatitis C typically progresses to a long-term or chronic infection which often leads to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.