Hepatitis C, an inflammation of the liver, develops after you contract the hepatitis C virus.
This virus is bloodborne, which means you can only transmit or contract it through blood that carries the virus.
Hepatitis C can be either acute or chronic:
Acute hepatitis C: Acute infections occur within 6 months of coming into contact with the virus. Symptoms could show up between 2 and 12 weeks after exposure to the virus.
Chronic hepatitis C: If your body doesn’t clear the hepatitis C virus, acute hepatitis C will become chronic. Between 55 and 85 percentTrusted Source of people who contract hepatitis C will eventually develop chronic hepatitis C.