It is not spread by food or water. Thanks to the tests developed for hepatitis C, the risk is now very low. Donated blood has been routinely tested for hepatitis C since the early 1990s. Many people with hepatitis C have no symptoms. If symptoms occur, they do so an average of six to seven weeks after exposure but may occur two weeks to six months after exposure.
Some people carry the virus in their blood for the rest of their lives.
Acute hepatitis C infection may be followed by recovery but usually becomes chronic and causes symptoms for years. An infected person with no symptoms can still spread hepatitis C to others. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C because the virus changes easily, making it very difficult to develop an effective vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug named interferon for treating some persons with chronic hepatitis C. Unfortunately, interferon treatment does not help all persons who have hepatitis C. Other antiviral medications, in combination with interferon, may also be used. A person with hepatitis C should never drink alcohol because it may cause further damage to the liver.