Hepatitis C is a virus. The word 'Hepatitis' means 'liver inflammation' and the 'C' part just means that it was the third type to be identified. A virus is a type of living particle which exists in a host, in this case a human body, and uses the host's organs and bloodstream as a convenient and comfortable home. There are probably thousands of different types of virus, and many cause no harm to their hosts. Some however cause damage which can be fatal. The common cold, Flu, SARS and AIDS are all caused by different virus infections, with wildly different results.

There is a great difference between a virus and a bacteria. Bacterial infections respond to antibiotics, and are generally easier to treat. Viral infections are usually difficult to treat, and the main agent for virus treatment is often the host's own immune system. Many virus types continuously change or mutate to fool the host's immune systems. This is particularly true of the HIV virus which causes AIDS, and to some extent the Hepatitis C virus. If viral infections were easy to treat the cure for the common cold would have been found long ago!