Hepatitis C can be cured but can be difficult to spot until it’s caused liver damage.
Families of victims of the contaminated blood scandal protest outside the UK Cabinet Office in central London, November 2023.
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One person still dies every three days in the UK after receiving contaminated blood in the 1970s and ‘80s. This global scandal has has devastated many families, including those with haemophilia
Vaccination against hepatitis E is not widespread yet globally.
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Around 60% of Australians with hepatitis C have accessed treatment which usually cures the condition. But to eliminate the disease, we need to prevent re-infection and tackle stigma.
Social inequality in healthcare access is set to be exacerbated both by the rise of new technologies, which not everyone will be able to enjoy, and climate change.
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Climate change, inequality, the evolution of knowledge… Experts have been surveyed, and a consensus is emerging on what to expect from the effects of these factors in the medical field.
If proper sterilisation procedures are in place, your chances of contracting hepatitis C from a tattoo are extremely low.
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Hepatitis C treatments are up to 95% effective when caught early.
Imaging the proteins on the surface of HCV has been challenging because of the virus’s shape-shifting nature.
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Using a Nobel Prize-winning technique called cryo-EM, researchers were able to identify potential areas on the hepatitis C virus that a vaccine could target.
Blood plasma and products made from it are used to treat conditions ranging from blood clotting disorders to immunodeficiencies to Rh-negative pregnancies.
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There has been a monumental policy shift in paying blood plasma donors in Canada.
Infections, scarring and hepatitis B and C are just some of the health problems caused by body piercing.
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Millions of Americans wear jewelry that pierces the ear, nose, lips, tongue and genital areas. But adorning yourself with metal body art can be a health hazard.
Direct-acting antivirals can cure hepatitis C in eight to 12 weeks. But while the rate of uptake in Australia has slowed, a greater proportion of those undertaking treatment are in prison.
Some strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) have been associated with cancers, especially cervical cancer.
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Direct-acting antivirals have mostly been used in countries with high incomes. These drugs would be effective against most hepatitis C strains. which are primarily low-income countries.
Hepatitis C led to an estimated 400,000 deaths in 2016.
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Michael Houghton, an Edmonton-based virologist, was one of the recipients of this year’s Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for the discovery of hepatitis C.
The hepatitis C virus was discovered in 1989 – research that’s now earned a Nobel Prize.
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The 2020 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine goes to the discoverers of the hepatitis C virus. There’s an effective cure but homelessness and the opioid epidemic are driving a surge in infections.
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Proposals in NSW to force someone who spits at or bites a frontline worker to be tested for HIV and other blood-borne viruses are a real problem - for workers and the public.
New research reveals a link between a diagnosis of cancer and a lifetime number of 10 or more sexual partners. But there are some flaws in the research we need to consider in interpreting the results.
While hepatitis B can’t be cured in the same way hepatitis C can, effective treatment is available.
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Benjamin Cowie, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity; Karen McCulloch, The University of Melbourne, and Nicole Romero, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Curing thousands of Australians with hepatitis C is one of the public health success stories of recent years. We can take lessons from this as we continue in the fight against hepatitis B.