How Hepatitis C is transmitted

There are many common diseases. When it comes to disease treatment, the choice of method is very important. However, different disease symptoms, causes, and treatment methods are different. Therefore, before treating the disease, physical examination of the patient is also very important. During the physical examination of the patient, the patient also needs to actively cooperate, so that they can have a good understanding of their own disease conditions. So what is the transmission route of hepatitis C?

Many people are not very clear about hepatitis C. After the disease occurs, good treatment is needed, which will be of great help to improve the disease. So what is the transmission route of hepatitis C?

How Hepatitis C is spread:

1. Blood transmission

⑴ Transmission through blood transfusion and blood products. Due to the window period for 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, it is impossible to completely screen out HCV-positive people, and massive blood transfusions and hemodialysis may still lead to HCV infection.

⑵ Transmission through broken skin and mucous membranes. This is currently the main mode of transmission. In some areas, intravenous drug use accounts for 60% to 90% of HCV transmission. The use of non-disposable syringes and needles, dental instruments that have not been strictly sterilized, endoscopes, invasive procedures and acupuncture are also important routes of percutaneous transmission. Some traditional medical methods that may cause skin damage and blood exposure are also associated with HCV transmission; sharing razors, toothbrushes, tattoos and ear piercings are also potential ways for HCV to be transmitted through blood.

2. Sexually transmitted.

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 combined with HIV infection, the risk of transmission increases to 20%. High HCV viral load may increase the risk of transmission.

4. Other routes: The transmission route of 15%~30% of sporadic hepatitis C is unknown.

HCV is generally not transmitted through kissing, hugging, sneezing, coughing, food, drinking, sharing of eating utensils and cups, contact without skin breaks, and other contact without blood exposure.

HCV RNA can be detected in peripheral blood 1 to 3 weeks after acute infection with hepatitis C virus. The incubation period is usually 2-26 weeks, with an average of 50 days; for those infected through blood transfusion, the incubation period is shorter, at 7-33 days, with an average of 19 days. When clinical symptoms appear, only 50% to 70% of patients are anti-HCV positive, and about 90% of patients become anti-HCV positive after 3 months.

Through the above introduction, we have a good understanding of the transmission routes of hepatitis C. Therefore, when treating this type of disease, patients and their families must be isolated. In daily life, patients should use the best things in their daily life.