Hi everyone! Very interesting! I also read researches now believe there is some relation between your genotype and method of transmission such as.....I'm genotype 1a, VL 5,400,000, and 99% sure contracted through blood transfusion in Feb.1977.

You are awesome Mckenzie, now I really have proof it was part of a global plan to erradicate at least 1/3 of the earths population with pestilence or them damn governement liars. Think about everywhere we have been providing medicine support for third world enviroments. At least now it makes so much more sense how it got round the world. This will add to my studies on why we need more global monies for this disease. So is Canada listed as part of North America?

Mckenzie, you would make a great hep c researcher. I agree with your thoughts, Lets see how many are what from where. I am 1a 450,000 VL had since late 70's from blood transfusion but I lived in Maine. I would love to put together a demographic line up of where we lived when we got what and VL before treatment. Please send info to my email and I will do an excel spreadsheet-it will be good for our project at Hepatitis C Advocates United. Thanks in advance. I only want the figures, states, and geno, viral load before tx. Thanks

genotype 1a, Aug. 07 viral load 117,000, chronic cirrhosis. More than likely recieved in KS from a tattoo.

Thank God they have more sanitary methods than cleaning a tattoo needle with alcohol.

I should mentionned that both my husband and I were type 1a.

We live in Ontario, Canada.

I got this information out of a book I have on hep c.

Not from Australia, I wish I could go there and visit though! lol

I should add that I contracted this in Alabama I have not been through tx yet.

heya, genotype 3a, vl 37,000. No idea about liver damage as yet. Not started tx yet.
Live in england

Bump

Mines 3a, US citizen and can't remember any ozzies in my past, dammit! Also I'm a non-responder. The research I did said 3a was one of the most responsive to tx. Let's just say, I like to be different. Mckenzie, what was your source for info, I have read this too and can't remember where or when I saw it - W.H.O.? John

Hi ..great idea ..Genotype 1a
viral load before tx 7,million
I lasted 4 months,on treatment, I was at 140,000 when I quit tx.
Now 3 years later, viral load just tested last week, back to 2 million . I hope it slows down. Thanks everyone. Patti

BUMP

my husband is genotype 3, stage 1-2 and grade 2 (i think, can't find the paper work now). undetectable at wk 4, have never been told a vl load #.

Hi everybody :) I'm a type 1
When I asked my doctor if I was 1a or 1b he said there are only type 1's
hmmmm...
do I have a doc who doesn't know or did things change recently.
I also can't find out my viral load. Doc said it cost too much so they don't do it here in Canada till week 12 of treatment. Then they pull your blood out of the freezer and compare the baseline to the week 12 viral loads and determine if treatment is working. Have any other Canadians heard this?
Doc also said biopsy was unnessasary. My ultrsound stated liver-unremarkable
Wow, like that tells me lots.
I feel like a mushroom. I have been doing my homework but a lot of research is from stats in the states which may be in diferent lingo than here. One thing for sure is I feel like I've just hit a home run with this site and all you wonderful knowledgable people. Somewhere on this site I read a saying that said before traveling the road ask the ones coming back...What great advice. Thanks all! Best of luck to everyone! Oy ya...I start tx in April.

With my foggy mind this week I am not going to take on the task of explaining this in my own words. This pretty much says what I would but with more extensive detail. Now we know why man created copy and paste. Lol

I am unfortunately a 1a. hardest to treat and longest period for TX. I more than likely received hep c in KS. USA

Scaredrabbit it sounds like viral load level is more important if you are on TX to judge the treatments progress. End of Aug 2007 when I found out I was hep c positive I also found out I was a 1a with a viral load of only 117,000. Now I know I have cirrhosis and signs of a decomposed liver. I do know I havent had a biopsy but a ct scan of my liver to rule out cancer. A lot can be found with a ct scan of your liver. Cancer, how much the liver has expanded which tells a doctor more about the liver condition.

What does the term genotype mean?
Genotype refers to the genetic make-up of an organism or a virus. There are at least 6 distinct HCV genotypes identified. Genotype 1 is the most common genotype seen in the United States.
Genotypes Explained
It is much easier to talk of the Hepatitis C virus as if it is a single organism but in fact it is a range of viruses, similar enough to be called Hepatitis C virus, yet different enough to be classified into subgroups.
Is it necessary to do genotyping when managing a person with chronic hepatitis C?
Yes, as there are 6 known genotypes and more than 50 subtypes of HCV, and genotype information is helpful in defining the epidemiology of hepatitis C. Knowing the genotype or serotype (genotype-specific antibodies) of HCV is helpful in making recommendations and counseling regarding therapy. Patients with genotypes 2 and 3 are almost three times more likely than patients with genotype 1 to respond to therapy with alpha interferon or the combination of alpha interferon and ribavirin. Furthermore, when using combination therapy, the recommended duration of treatment depends on the genotype. For patients with genotypes 2 and 3, a 24-week course of combination treatment is adequate, whereas for patients with genotype 1, a 48-week course is recommended. For these reasons, testing for HCV genotype is often clinically helpful. Once the genotype is identified, it need not be tested again; genotypes do not change during the course of infection.
Classifications
Biologists are generally not known for creativity when it comes to naming things - hence Hepatitis C virus. The most commonly used classification of Hepatitis C virus has HCV divided into the following genotypes (main types): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. As we've highlighted, HCV genotypes can be broken down into sub-types, some of which include:
1a, 1b, 1c
2a, 2b, 2c
3a, 3b
4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e
5a
6a
7a, 7b
8a, 8b
9a
10a
11a