EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HEPATITIS C VIRAL INFECTION

SAŽETAK Virusni hepatitis C zarazna je bolest uzrokovana hepatotropnim hepatitis C virusom (HCV) iz porodice Flaviviridae. Otkriće virusa razjasnilo je etiologiju najvećega dijela poslijetransfuzijskih non-A, non-B hepatitisa dotad nepoznata uzroka, te je ustanovljeno da se virus najčešće prenosi krvlju i krvnim pripravcima parenteralno. Koliko je poznato, inficirane su osobe jedini “rezervoar” virusa i izvor su infekcije za druge ljude. HCV infekcija jedan je od najtežih javnozdravstvenih problema današnjice. Procjenjuje se da je više od 170 milijuna ljudi u svijetu zaraženo tim virusom, većina njih kronično. Kronična infekcija u velikoga broja oboljelih dovodi do razvoja ozbiljnih komplikacija, uključujući zatajenje jetrene funkcije, razvoj ciroze jetre, te hepatocelularnoga karcinoma (HCC). Prevalencija HCV infekcije, od otkrića virusa kao uzročnoga agensa bolesti do danas, bitno je promijenjena zahvaljujući ponajprije rutinskome testiranju krvi dobrovoljnih davatelja na infekciju hepatitis C virusom. Općeprihvaćeno je da je danas najvažniji rizični čimbenik koji pridonosi širenju infekcije hepatitis C virusom, unutarvensko uzimanje droga.ABSTRACT Viral hepatitis C is infectious disease caused by hepatotropic hepatitis C virus (HCV) belonging to family Flaviviridae. The discovery of the virus has clarify the ethiology of the major part of post-transfusion non-A non-B hepatitis of unknown origin. It was determined that the virus was mainly transmitted by blood and its products by parenteral route of transmission. HCVinfected people are the only known reservoir of the virus and the source of infection for others. HCV infection is one of the most important public health problems today. It was estimated that more than 170 million individuals are infected with HCV worldvwide, most of them chronically. Chronic infection in significant proportion leads to the development of serious complications that include liver function failure, the cirrhosis development and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prevalence of HCV infection has significantly changed since the dicovery of virus as ethiological agent of the disease primarily owing to routine testing of blood from volunteer donors on the presence of HCV infection. Today is generally accepted that the most important risk factor that contributes to the spread of HCV infection is illegal use of intravenous drugs