Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. You can get infected through blood-to-blood contact, such as when sharing needles. It’s treatable but can be serious. We monitor and report on national case data.

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What hepatitis C is

Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus, which spreads when the blood of an infected person enters the bloodstream of another. 

Most people don’t get any symptoms when first infected with hepatitis C, so might not seek health care. 

Without treatment, most people go on to develop a chronic infection, which can cause serious liver disease over time. 

Why it matters to public health

Hepatitis C is serious disease that can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and liver cancer. 

Every year, thousands of Australians are diagnosed with hepatitis C. In 2024 alone, nearly 7,500 people were diagnosed. 

Close to 70,000 Australians live with chronic hepatitis C, and almost 1 in 5 are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

Hepatitis C can be cured with effective treatment. Due to sustained public health efforts and improved access to treatment, infection rates have been falling rapidly since 2016. 

To reach Australia’s goal of eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030, more work is needed.

Because of these major impacts, we:

Symptoms

Most people with acute hepatitis C don’t have any symptoms. Only about 1 in 3 have symptoms, which include:

About 1 in 3 people with hepatitis C recover without treatment. But most people develop chronic hepatitis C (that is, infection lasting more than 6 months) if they are not treated. 

People with chronic hepatitis C also have no symptoms until the liver is damaged. 

Serious complications of chronic hepatitis C include:

Read more about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C.

Healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether to see a health professional. 

Check your symptoms 

Onset of symptoms

If symptoms of acute hepatitis C infection appear, they usually start between 2 and 26 weeks after infection. 

Symptoms of liver damage from chronic hepatitis C can take many years to develop, often going unnoticed until serious illness occurs.

How it spreads

Hepatitis C virus spreads through blood-to-blood contact. 

In Australia, about 8 out of 10 new cases of hepatitis C result from injecting drugs. 

Transmission can also occur:

  • through contaminated tattoo or body piercing equipment
  • during sexual contact, especially for men who have sex with men or people living with HIV
  • by sharing personal care items, such as razors and toothbrushes
  • during birth (pregnant person to baby)
  • through exposure to infected blood in healthcare settings.

In the past, unscreened blood products presented a risk of transmitting hepatitis C. But Australia has screened blood since the early 1990s, so the risk in Australia is extremely low. 

Having had hepatitis C in the past does not mean you are immune. You can be reinfected if exposed to the virus again.

You can’t get hepatitis C from:

  • kissing
  • touching
  • sharing food.

Infectious period

People with acute hepatitis C become infectious 2 to 14 days after being infected. They remain infectious until the infection is either:

  • cleared by the body
  • cured through antiviral treatment.

People living with chronic hepatitis C are almost always infectious for their lifetime, unless cured with antiviral treatment.

Prevention

There is no vaccine against hepatitis C.

The best way to protect yourself is to:

  • never share needles, syringes or other equipment  
  • always use sterile equipment
    • when injecting medication or drugs, including performance enhancing substances
    • for body piercing, tattoos or cosmetic procedures
  • not share items such as razors, toothbrushes or other personal items
  • use barrier methods such as condoms during sex
  • get tested during pregnancy, especially if you are at higher risk of exposure.

Read more about ways to prevent hepatitis C.

Priority groups and settings

Some people are at greater risk of getting hepatitis C or getting very sick from it. If you are at greater risk, it is especially important to take steps to protect yourself. 

Hepatitis C disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This is driven by the enduring impacts of colonisation, racism and inequity that have led to higher infection risk and barriers to culturally safe care.

People at greater risk of severe disease

Hepatitis C poses a greater risk of severe illness for people living with:

People at greater risk of exposure

People who inject drugs, or did so in the past, are at greatest risk of hepatitis C infection. 

Other people at greater risk include those who are, or have ever been: 

  • in custodial facilities
  • recipients of body piercings, tattoos, cosmetic treatments or medical procedures with unsterile equipment
  • born to someone living with hepatitis C
  • intimate partners of people living with hepatitis C – especially men who have sex with men or people living with HIV
  • recipients of a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1990 (or more recently in some low- or middle-income countries)
  • recipients of certain plasma-derived clotting treatments for bleeding disorders before 1993 (or more recently in some low- or middle-income countries)
  • affected by a needlestick injury.

Getting tested is important if you have ever been in a high-risk group, even if it’s no longer the case. This is because you could have a chronic infection from past exposure and not know it. 

Diagnosis and treatment

Your healthcare professional will refer you for blood tests to diagnose hepatitis C.

You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you. 

Find a health service

Your doctor will prescribe oral antiviral treatment for 8 to 12 weeks.

Read more about hepatitis C treatment.

Surveillance and reporting

Hepatitis C is a nationally notifiable disease. These are diseases that present a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report new cases to us daily through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. 

This is part of our surveillance activities, which help us monitor case numbers around the country and understand disease patterns. 

We analyse the data and report on case numbers and other data through our data visualisation tool. You can use the tool to filter and search the latest information. 

Outbreaks

How public health authorities respond to hepatitis C cases and outbreaks depends on: 

  • state or territory legislation
  • local reporting requirements
  • the nature of the cases or outbreak
  • available resources. 

Hepatitis C preparedness and response initiatives include:

  • co-designing prevention and treatment strategies with local communities and health services
  • tailoring public health education and messaging about prevention and treatment for people at high risk
  • enabling access to appropriate prevention (for example, needle and syringe programs), testing and treatment services.

Support 

For more information about hepatitis C see:

For information about hepatitis C in your state or territory see:

If you need mental health support, see a list of organisations, websites and services that offer support, counselling and information.

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