Hcv symptoms after exposure?

[Elbort]

Hi, very quick question. If someone had gotten hcv from an exposure and a couple months later they received acute hcv symptoms, would that mean at that point since there are symptoms the body is already making antibodies and it will show up on a test? Or in other words how long after onset of symptoms would a test appear positive? I couldn't find any info regarding this and wanted to open up to the community. Thank you for your help

[worriesss123]

Thank you all.

Due to fear of getting infected. I was taking HIV PEP (Kaletra and Combivir) for 30 days. My HIV test at week 6, week 9, and week 12 are all Negative.

Can I know from your knowledge..... What is the level of ALT during Acute HCV?

Everywhere I read increasing of ALT. But how much amount increase is in Red Alert?

[hrsepwrguy]

protected sex = no risk

unproducted oral sex

Hepatitis C Risk – The Hepatitis C virus can also cause chronic liver disease with a potential for being fatal. Transmitted via blood-to-blood contact, this illness is harder to acquire from sexual contact. While there is little evidence proving Hepatitis C acquisition through oral sex, a theoretical risk exists if there is any blood present in the giver or receiver. Thus, a risk of transmitting Hepatitis C via cunnilingus, fellatio or analingus exists if there is any menstrual blood, bleeding gums, a throat infection, cold sores, canker sores, genital warts, hemorrhoids or any other breaks in the skin in any involved body structure – vagina, clitoris, labia, penis, testicles, anus, perineum, lips, tongue or anywhere else on the genitalia or inside the mouth.

Experts believe that viral hepatitis is more likely to be transmitted if either the positive or the negative partner has another STD, especially one that causes sores or lesions. Thus, suspicious symptoms should always be checked by a doctor before engaging in oral sex.

http://www.hepatitiscentral.com/mt/archives/2009/10/can_you_get_vir.html

[flyinlynn]

Hepatitis C can be spread through sexual intercourse, but the risk is considered to be low.  It is extremely rare among monogamous couples, meaning couples who only have sex with one another.  The risk increases if you:

Have multiple sex partners
Engage in rough sex
Have a sexually transmitted disease
Are infected with HIV
There is no evidence that Hepatitis C is spread by oral sex.

To reduce the chance of getting or giving Hepatitis C through sexual contact, follow these guidelines:

Decrease the number of people you have sex with or have sex with only one person.
Use latex condoms every time you have sex, particularly if you have:
More than one partner
Rough sex that might make one of you bleed
Sex during your or your partner’s menstrual period
Sex when you or your partner has an open sore on either of your genitals

[flyinlynn]

High values
High levels of ALT may be caused by:

Liver damage from conditions such as hepatitis or cirrhosis.
Lead poisoning.
Exposure to carbon tetrachloride.
Decay of a large tumor (necrosis).
Many medicines, such as statins, antibiotics, chemotherapy, aspirin, narcotics, and barbiturates.
Mononucleosis.
Growth spurts, especially in young children. Rapid growth can cause mildly elevated levels of ALT.
What Affects the Test
Reasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:

Taking medicines. Talk with your doctor about all the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking. You may be instructed to stop taking your medicines for several days before the test.
Taking some herbs and natural products, such as echinacea and valerian.
Strenuous exercise, injury to a muscle, or injections into a muscle.
Recent cardiac catheterization or surgery.

[worriesss123]

My exposure is protected vaginal sex + unproducted oral sex. As far as I know... No visible blood. And my ALT:

- Day 3: 12 u/l
- week 6: 63 u/l
- week 10: 53 u/l

My Anti HCV test is Negative at week 10. The test is MEIA Third Generation.

Do I need to worry about my exposure, how risky is it? Do I need to re-test?

[flyinlynn]

There are different names for the types of Hepatitis C tests including:

Hepatitis C Antibody; Anti-HCV; HCV-PCR; HCV-RNA; Hepatitis C Viral Load
Formal name: Viral Hepatitis C Antibody Screen; Viral Hepatitis C RNA by PCR; Hepatitis C Virus Genotype

The Anti-HCV screening tests (enzyme immunoassay) posted by Hrsepwrguy is a name for the test for your bodies antibodies against HCV.

The antibody test (Anti-HCV) as posted above will show positive result a minimum time of 4-10 weeks after infection and 97% who have been exposed to the virus will test postitve by 6 months. This is whether or not you develop symptoms. Also if your body is able to clear the virus on it's own or you are treated and clear the virus the anti body test will always test positive. Acute infection can clear on its own without treatment in about 25% of people.

The other test Hrsepwrguy listed HVC RNA is the test for the virus itself and can be detected as early as 2–3 weeks after infection.

So you could test positive for the antibodies (Anti-HCV) but not test positive for the virus itself (HCV RNA) if you had been exposed to the virus and successfully eridicate it.

Hope that helps
Lynn

[hrsepwrguy]

Clinical Features and Natural History
ACUTE HCV INFECTION

The incubation period for newly acquired (acute) HCV infection ranges from two weeks to six months, with an average incubation period of six to seven weeks.4–6 However, viral replication can be detected as early as one week after exposure. Of patients with acute HCV infection, 60 to 70 percent have no discernible symptoms; 20 to 30 percent have jaundice; and 10 to 20 percent have nonspecific symptoms such as loss of appetite, fatigue and abdominal pain.7–9

Most patients (about 80 percent) who seek medical care for symptoms related to acute hepatitis C have bilirubin levels of at least 3.0 mg per dL (51 μmol per L); average: 4.1 mg per dL (70 μmol per L) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels greater than 600 U per L (10,000 nkat per L); average: 1,410 U per L (23,500 nkat per L). Only 15 percent of patients require hospitalization, and fulminant disease is rare.10,11

The course of acute hepatitis C is variable, although its most characteristic feature is fluctuating, polyphasic ALT patterns. Some patients have variations of several hundreds of U per L from week to week, and such variations are sometimes recurrent, with the magnitude of the ALT elevations diminishing over time. Normalization of ALT levels, which may occur, suggests full recovery but is frequently followed by ALT elevations, indicating chronic liver disease.12 This facet of hepatitis C necessitates prolonged follow-up to assure appropriate diagnosis and management.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/0101/p79.html

If your worried, get tested, it is the only way to know for sure....

Have a great day

[Elbort]

Thank you for the response. However i was wondering if at the onset of symptoms would the body immediately produce antibodies thus it would appear on a test from that point on? Do antibodies become produced after symptoms and if so when after them?

[hrsepwrguy]

How soon after exposure to HCV can anti-HCV be detected?

HCV infection can be detected by anti-HCV screening tests (enzyme immunoassay) 4–10 weeks after infection. Anti-HCV can be detected in >97% of persons by 6 months after exposure.
How soon after exposure to HCV can HCV RNA be detected by PCR?

HCV RNA appears in blood and can be detected as early as 2–3 weeks after infection.
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How soon after exposure to HCV do symptoms appear?

In those persons who do develop symptoms, the average time period from exposure to symptom onset is 4–12 weeks (range: 2–24 weeks).
What are the signs and symptoms of chronic HCV infection?

Most persons with chronic HCV infection are asymptomatic. However, many have chronic liver disease, which can range from mild to severe, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Chronic liver disease in HCV-infected persons is usually insidious, progressing slowly without any signs or symptoms for several decades. In fact, HCV infection is often not recognized until asymptomatic persons are identified as HCV-positive when screened for blood donation or when elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT, a liver enzyme) levels are detected during routine examinations.

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/HCVfaq.htm#c5