Transmission routes of hepatitis C. How are hepatitis C infected

In the world a huge number of severe and complex diseases. And almost every person can become infected with them. In this article, I want to talk about the ways in which hepatitis C can be transmitted.

About the disease

At the very beginning it is worth to say that hepatitis is a viral infection. It can be different, but hepatitis C is the most serious and terrible form of it. What else you need to know about this disease?

1. The main ways of transmission of hepatitis C are through the blood. However, viral agents in small amounts can also be found in saliva, human lymph, in the seminal fluid of men and in menstrual blood of women.
2. The viability of the virus is from 12 to 96 hours.
3. Donor blood is always checked for the presence of this virus. It used to be one of the main ways of infection.
4. The probability of infection depends on the person's immunity, as well as on the degree of viral damage.
5. Statistics show that approximately 170 million people worldwide have chronic hepatitis C. In addition, the number of patients increases by about 4 million per year. However, the spread of the disease is not the same in all countries.

About the pathogen

For today, the causative agent of hepatitis C is not 100% known. After all, there are certain difficulties: the impossibility of accumulating a sufficient number of viral agents for research, the lack of adequate live models. However, some information is still there.

1. The virus belongs to the flaviviruses.
2. It is a weak antigen and a persistent pathogen.
3. The virus is genetically heterogeneous. The composition has a significant number of genotypes and phenotypes.
4. The causative agent of hepatitis, more precisely its genotype, scientists are divided into three main groups: "Asian", "American" and "Japanese", depending on the confinement to a particular territory.

The main ways

So, it is necessary to consider the main ways of transmission of hepatitis C.

1. Donor blood. Previously, there were more problems with this. However, in our country since 1992, all donor blood is checked for the presence of this virus. The likelihood of infection may increase with repeated blood transfusions.
2. Use one needle. For today this is the most important way of infection with hepatitis C. This happens in drug addicts, as well as people with low income. It should be said that in the so-called "third world" countries, infection with this virus occurs much more often. All the fault is the lack of medical devices and the urgent need to re-use the same needle for injection.
3. The virus is also transmitted sexually.
4. The virus can be transmitted from mother to child.
5. There are frequent infections during tattooing, piercing ears or other parts of the body. In this case, the reason is the use of non-sterile needles.

However, it must be said that in about 40% of cases the transmission routes of hepatitis C remain unknown.

Other situations

How does hepatitis C become infected? This can happen with almost everyone and anywhere.

1. In places of confinement.
2. High risk of infection in health workers. After all, it is not uncommon for physicians to simply not put on gloves, when even a fraction of a second can cost a person life.
3. You can get infected by using other people's hygiene products - toothbrushes, razors, manicure tools.
4. All places where sanitary and hygienic standards can be violated. This manicure rooms, hairdressers, tattoo parlors, etc.
5. You can get infected in any public place, accidentally pricking yourself with an infected needle (they are often thrown by sick teenagers as revenge for the fact that they are infected).

Sexual transmission

As mentioned above, hepatitis C can be sexually transmitted. However, this percentage is rather low (no more than 3-5%). It should be said that it is impossible to determine whether a person is sick or not according to external signs. It is possible to get infected only if the sexual act was unprotected. Otherwise, the risk of infection is reduced to zero. When is the degree of infection during sexual intercourse?

1. With hard sex, when there is damage to the mucous membranes.
2. During an intimate relationship with a woman who has menstruation.
3. During unprotected anal sex.

Regarding oral sex, doctors do not have a common opinion. Those. It is not yet known whether it is possible to get a similar infection with hepatitis C.

Kissing

Many people may be interested in information about whether hepatitis C is transmitted through kisses or saliva. The risk of infection in this case is very small. In fact, saliva contains a very small percentage of viral agents. However, it is easy to get infected from the person who is already seriously ill.

Air-drop path

We further consider viral hepatitis C, the ways of transmission of this disease. It should be said that it is impossible to get infected with this disease by airborne droplets. Infection does not occur either during conversation, or even during a cough or sneezing of the infected. It's also peaceful with such people you can shake hands, hug. Doctors say that consumption of common foods and drinks is also not a method of infection. Hepatitis C also can not tolerate insects.

If the infection did happen ...

Having figured out how to get infected with hepatitis C, it is worthwhile to tell about what development pathway is possible if the virus has already been infected.

1. If the immune system of the infected is strong, it can fully recover. This occurs in about 20% of cases.
2. In most cases, after infection, a person acquires a chronic form of hepatitis C. In this case, one must constantly undergo a medical examination, since the virus can be activated at any time in the body of the carrier.
3. You can get infected with a virus and remain its carrier, completely without suspecting it. It reproduces very slowly, neither liver tests nor biopsy can in some cases "tell" that a person is infected.

Re-infection

If a person has previously had hepatitis C, but has recovered, the risk of infection still remains. After all, the body does not develop immunity to this virus. Moreover, it should be said that there are several types of the virus, due to which the so-called "fresh" infection is possible.

If the family is sick

If there is a person in the family who is sick with hepatitis C, then the other members should be extremely sharp. After all, as it was said above, the virus can live in an environment up to 96 hours. In this case, the following activities will be important:

1. Clothes, bed of the patient should be washed off with the help of whiteness. It is worth remembering that the virus dies at a temperature of 60 ° C for 30 minutes, at boiling - for 2-3.
2. All household items must be strictly individual.
3. In case of injuries, the affected areas should be bandaged or sealed with a patch. If you need to help the patient, you need to wear gloves.

Risk groups

Who and when can hepatitis C carry a virus? High degree of risk has:

• Medical workers who work daily with infected people;
• People who were transfused before 1987;
• People who were doing operations before 1992;
• HIV-infected.

Medium risk:

• People with a variety of liver diseases;
• Patients who are on hemodialysis;
• Babies who were born from infected mothers.

Weak risk group:

• All health workers;
• Workers SES, i.e. Sanitary and Epidemiological Services;
• People who lead a too active sex life and do not use a condom during sexual intercourse;
• People who have a single, but an infected partner.

Diagnostics

How can a carrier of hepatitis C be detected ? After all, as has already been said above, very often a person does not have any external signs and occasions to contact the doctor. So, the virus can be determined by the next medical examination or by a scheduled physical examination. To do this, you will need:

1. Blood test.
2. Ultrasound. Examination of the abdominal cavity.
3. Liver biopsy.

To address for the first help it is necessary to the infektsionistu. If the patient has chronic hepatitis C, the patient is supervised by a gastroenterologist or hepatologist.

What do the positive results of research mean?

Positive test results can mean the following:

1. The patient suffers from a chronic form of hepatitis.
2. The infection was transferred in the past. At the moment, the person is healthy, but previously he was dealing with a virus.
3. The result can be false positive. In this case, additional research will be necessary.

A few words about the treatment

It is worth mentioning that the most dangerous is chronic hepatitis C. After all, it can eventually develop into cirrhosis or even liver cancer. The following information will also be important: a vaccine that could protect against infection with the hepatitis C virus simply does not exist. What are the main goals of the treatment of the patient?

1. Reduction or complete elimination of inflammatory processes in the liver. This is necessary in order to prevent the appearance of cirrhosis.
2. Reduction or complete elimination from the body of the patient itself virus.

It is worth mentioning that modern specialists of Russian medicine agreed that the most effective drug in the work with infected viral hepatitis C is the drug Interferon-Alpha. Its main task is to prevent the subsequent infection of liver cells.