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SPREAD OF HEPATITIS C: IT’S ABOUT THE BLOOD HOW IS THE HEPATITIS C VIRUS SPREAD? RISKS OF INFECTION Hepatitis C is spread when an infected person’s blood enters the bloodstream of another person. 1 Worldwide, about 160 million people have chronic hepatitis C 2 and approximately three to four million people are infected with hepatitis C every year. 3 Since 80% of patients with hepatitis C experience no symptoms following infection, 1 it is vital to understand the risks of hepatitis C infection. 17.5 M 16M 14M 28.1M 83M 400K As hepatitis C is a blood borne infection, risks for transmission are associated with exposure to contaminated blood through:1 ■■ Injection drug use ■■ Injections given with contaminated syringes ■■ Blood transfusions ■■ Blood products ■■ Organ transplants ■■ Needle-stick injuries in healthcare settings ■■ Unsterilized medical or tattoo equipment ■■ Sharing of personal care items (razors, toothbrushes etc) ■■ Being born to a hepatitis C-infected mother ■■ Through sex with a person who has hepatitis C AVOIDING INFECTION *Prevalence of chronic hepatitis C2 FACTS ON THE SPREAD OF HEPATITIS C ■■ ■■ Hepatitis C is not spread by sneezing, coughing, food or water, sharing food and drinks with an infected person, or through casual contact such as hugging, shaking or holding hands.1 Since 1992, blood transfusions, other blood products and solid organs for transplant have been screened for the hepatitis C virus in some parts of the world4 and may now be considered safe in those areas. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. The risk of infection can be reduced by avoiding: 1 ■■ Unnecessary and unsafe injections ■■ Unsafe blood products ■■ ■■ ■■ Unsafe methods for sharps waste collection and disposal Use of illicit drugs and sharing of injection equipment Sharing of sharp personal items that may be contaminated with infected blood ■■ Unsterilized equipment used for tattoos, piercings and acupuncture ■■ Unprotected sex with a hepatitis C-infected person 1. World Health Organization. Hepatitis C Fact Sheet 2014. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs164/en/. Accessed April 2014. 2. Lavanchy D. Evolving Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2011; 17(2):107-15. 3. World Gastroenterology Organisation. World Gastroenterology Organisation Global Guidelines: Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of Hepatitis C. April 2013. http://www.worldgastroenterology.org/assets/export/userfiles/ WGO_Hepatitis%20C_Final%20Version.pdf. Accessed April 25, 2014. 4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for the identification of Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Persons Born During 1945-1965. 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr6104.pdf. Accessed March 25, 2013.