How is hepatitis C transmitted? If you have a family member with the disease, how can you prevent others from being infected?

Hepatitis C transmission routes

1. HCV is mainly transmitted through blood, mainly through: ⑴ Transmission through blood transfusion and blood products. Since my country screened blood donors for anti-HCV in 1993, this pathway has been effectively controlled. However, due to the window period of anti-HCV, the unstable quality of anti-HCV detection reagents, and the fact that a small number of infected people do not produce anti-HCV, HCV-positive individuals cannot be completely screened out, and HCV infection may still occur through massive blood transfusions and hemodialysis. ⑵ Spread through broken skin and mucous membranes. This is currently the most important mode of transmission. In some areas, intravenous drug injection accounts for 60% to 90% of HCV transmission. The use of non-disposable syringes and needles, dental instruments that are not strictly sterilized, endoscopes, invasive procedures and needle sticks are also important routes of percutaneous transmission. Some traditional medical practices that may result in skin breakdown and blood exposure are also associated with HCV transmission; razors, toothbrushes, tattoos, and ear piercings are also potential ways of menstrual blood transmission of HCV.

2. Sexual transmission: People who have sexual intercourse with HCV-infected people and engage in sexual promiscuity are at a higher risk of being infected with HCV. People who are also accompanied by other sexually transmitted diseases, especially those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are at a higher risk of being infected with HCV.

3. Mother-to-child transmission: The risk of anti-HCV-positive mothers transmitting HCV to their newborns is 2%. If the mother is HCV RNA-positive during delivery, the risk of transmission can be as high as 4% to 7%; when co-infected with HIV, the risk of transmission is The risk increases to 20%. High HCV viral loads may increase the risk of transmission.

The transmission route of some HCV-infected people is unknown. HCV is generally not transmitted through kissing, hugging, sneezing, coughing, food, drinking water, drinking utensils and cups, and other contacts without skin damage and blood exposure.

How do people get hepatitis C?

Hepatitis C is spread through blood contact. Hepatitis C virus cannot be spread through the air or through normal human contact (such as kissing, shaking hands, and hugging). Some high-risk and low-risk situations are listed below.

High risk:

· People who have received blood transfusions, blood products, organ or tissue transplants before June 1990. After June 1990, Canada began testing for hepatitis C virus in blood and blood products. More advanced hepatitis C virus detection methods were introduced in 1992 and have been improved since. Today, however, a small risk still exists (the chance of transfused infection is less than 1 per million units of red blood cells, platelets, or plasma). There is no evidence that hepatitis C is caused by the current use of blood products (eg, immunoglobulins, albumin, factor concentrates).

· Use injection tools (such as syringes, tubes). Even if you only used it once, or *** many years ago.

· Used cocaine and a drinking straw

· Accidentally stabbed with a syringe used by an infected person. Every time such a situation occurs, there is a 1%-2% chance of being infected with hepatitis C.

· Long-term hemodialysis. Each person receiving hemodialysis has an estimated 10% chance of becoming infected with hepatitis C every year due to regular contact with a variety of blood products. Infections with hepatitis C from this cause can be reduced through improvements in dialysis methods and preventive measures using single-use medical equipment.

Low risk:

· ***Use household items that may retain blood (such as razors, nail clippers, dental floss)

· Use Contaminated instruments piercing the skin

A) Tattoos: Tattoos are considered a possible route of infection for hepatitis C because it is a possible route of infection that involves many people.

B) Ear piercing/other body piercing

C) Acupuncture

D) Electroacupuncture to remove moles

· Sexual behavior . If you have unprotected sex with a partner who has hepatitis C, you have less than a 5% chance of becoming infected during your lifetime. Having an open wound or a disease that can be transmitted through sexual contact, such as herpes or HIV, greatly increases the chance of contracting hepatitis C. In addition, women with hepatitis C should avoid unprotected sexual intercourse during menstruation.

· Mother to child (vertical transmission). The chance of infection in this case is about 5%, but if the mother is cross-infected with HIV and has a high hepatitis C viral load, the chance of infection will rise to 30%. There is no evidence that breastfeeding will cause hepatitis C infection in children, but it may be transmitted if the nipples bleed.

If I already have hepatitis C, how can I avoid spreading the virus?

If you follow these steps, you will greatly reduce the chance of passing hepatitis C to others through blood contact.

· If you are donating sperm, tissue or organs, disclose your hepatitis C infection status to your recipient.

· Do not use straws or injection equipment for taking drugs.

· If you are a hemophiliac who is undergoing a home treatment plan, be careful to place all used syringes and syringes in sealed containers provided by the hospital.

· Don’t use anything with other people that might have blood on it (even just a little bit).

· Avoid skin punctures.

· Tell your sexual partners that you have hepatitis C.

· Use latex condoms during sexual intercourse.

· If you are considering becoming pregnant, talk to your doctor.

· Areas contaminated with patient blood should be washed with soap and hot water, and then disinfected with bleach diluted in a 1:9 ratio. If cleaning is done by someone else, gloves should be worn during the cleaning process. Hepatitis C virus can survive from a few seconds to a few minutes in a dry environment, while in a moist environment it can survive from a few minutes to an hour or more.

· Bedsheets, towels, sheets and clothes contaminated with blood should be washed first with bleach mixed with cold water and then with hot water.

· Treat the wound with a band-aid or gauze bandage until it recovers.

· Place any items with blood on them (such as gauze bands, toilet paper, tampons, or razors) in a plastic bag before disposing of them in the trash.