hepatitis C

noun

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.

Examples of hepatitis C in a Sentence

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Liver cancer deaths have been increasing since the 1970s, and initially most of the increase was tied to hepatitis C infections spread among people who abuse drugs. — Mike Stobbe, The Seattle Times, "US cancer death rate hits milestone: 25 years of decline," 8 Jan. 2019 The Exchange Project, which exchanges used syringes and equipment for sterile items and provides additional health care, including rapid HIV and hepatitis C testing, pregnancy testing and more. — Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "Closing gap between overdose and treatment in Hamilton County to stem relapses, deaths," 6 Feb. 2018 The rate of liver cancer incidence is rising faster than that for any other cancer — a trend the American Cancer Society attributes to the high rate of undiagnosed hepatitis C among baby boomers. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "We’re making real progress against cancer. But you may not know it if you’re poor.," 8 Jan. 2019 The decades of research show needle exchanges combat the spread of bloodborne diseases like hepatitis C and HIV, cut down on the number of needles thrown out in public spaces, and link more people to treatment — all without enabling more drug use. — German Lopez, Vox, "A big, new review of the evidence finds that prescription heroin works," 6 Dec. 2018 State officials hope that in addition to eliminating hepatitis C the state will save money through the effort. — Agueda Pacheco-flores, The Seattle Times, "Inslee: Erase hepatitis C in Washington by 2030," 28 Sep. 2018 Officials said many patients also showed signs of hepatitis C infection, which makes their condition more serious. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Hepatitis A outbreak in Massachusetts kills 1, sickens 64 others," 25 Sep. 2018 Gilead, the maker of hepatitis C drugs that can cost more than $80,000 per treatment and therefore might be ripe for a price cut, is up 17.2%. — Michael Hiltzik, latimes.com, "Pfizer doesn't deserve any credit for 'rolling back' its price increases at Trump's demand. Here's why," 11 July 2018 Since late 2013, new hepatitis C drugs with a success rate of more than 95 percent have become available. — Washington Post, "State Prisons Fail To Offer Cure To 144,000 Inmates With Deadly Hepatitis C," 9 July 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.

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17 Feb 2019

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The first known use of hepatitis C was in 1978

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More Definitions for hepatitis C

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.