hepatitis C

noun

|Updated on: 9 Jun 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

Revlimid cost Medicare Part D $2.7 billion in 2016, trailing only Harvoni, which treats hepatitis C and is not on the FDA’s new list.

— sydney lupkin — kaiser health news, STAT, "Drug makers blamed for blocking generics have jacked up prices and cost U.S. billions," 23 May 2018
How about from someone who was an IV drug user and contracted hepatitis C, a condition that is treatable?

— jessica ravitz, CNN, "Search for new lungs begins with changed heart," 23 May 2018
Revlimid cost Medicare Part D $2.7 billion in 2016, trailing only Harvoni, which treats hepatitis C and is not on the FDA’s new list.

— sydney lupkin, Washington Post, "Drugmakers Blamed For Blocking Generics Have Milked Prices And Cost U.S. Billions," 23 May 2018
Lawsuits are starting to pile up in the wake of a recent hepatitis C scare at Puyallup’s Good Samaritan Hospital.

— sean robinson, The Seattle Times, "Class-action suit filed in Puyallup hospital hepatitis C case," 13 May 2018
In just four years, from 2013 to 2017, the number of reported acute hepatitis C cases in Marion County increased 1,000 percent.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Marion County could get needle exchange program, as hepatitis C rates soar," 17 May 2018
In recent years, drug companies have introduced breakthrough treatments for hepatitis C at prices in the $80,000 to $95,000 range.

— charles m. silver and david a. hyman, STAT, "Why does Wall Street love Trump’s ineffective drug-price plan?," 14 May 2018
When a blood test confirmed Weberg had hepatitis C, she was placed on administrative leave on March 23.

— jeff truesdell, PEOPLE.com, "Wash. Nurse Accused of Spreading Hep C to Patients With Her Drug Needles Allegedly Planned to Commit Suicide," 9 May 2018
Indeed, the sites also provide sterile equipment (including clean syringes) to prevent the spread of diseases such as HIV, hepatitis C, and other infections.

— tessie castillo, SELF, "Here’s What Supervised Consumption Sites for Drug Users Actually Are," 9 May 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.