Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection, which causes inflammation of the liver. It is spread through contact with the blood of an infected person. Sharing injecting needles and other drug-taking equipment with someone who is infected is the most common way to get hepatitis C in Ireland. About 25-30% of people who are infected clear the virus within one year of infection. The remaining 70-75% develop chronic (long-term) infection. This can cause serious liver disease, including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and liver failure. This liver damage occurs gradually over 20-40 years in people with chronic infection.

Highly effective treatments for hepatitis C became available in Ireland in late 2014. These result in a cure for over 95% of people who are infected. For more information on treatment please see: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/hepatitis-c/treatment/

Hepatitis C became a notifiable disease in Ireland in 2004.

Last updated: 29 June 2026