hepatitis C

noun

: 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

Recent Examples on the Web

The team also carried out tests for tuberculosis, hepatitis C and syphilis. —David Cox, NPR, 19 Sep. 2024

Even though Phillipps dealt with health issues in recent years — at one point, hepatitis C from past drug use left him hospitalized and near-death — the band remained active, releasing their album Scatterbrain in 2021 and staging a rare tour of the U.S. the following year. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2024

The Nasarawa State Government officially committed to eliminating hepatitis C and announced a five-year strategic plan to screen 2.5 million people for the disease and treat 141,000 people by 2025. —Danjuma Adda, STAT, 16 June 2024

The insurance plan paid for her hepatitis C treatment, and she is now cured of the viral disease. —Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hepatitis C

noun

-ˈsē 

: 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.