Viral hepatitis: what is it? How is it transmitted? How is hepatitis C transmitted from person to person?

There is a huge amount of heavy and complex diseases. And almost anyone can become infected with them. In this article I would like to talk about what routes of transmission of hepatitis C exist.

About the disease

At the very beginning it is worth saying that hepatitis is viral infection. It comes in different forms, but hepatitis C is its most serious and terrible form. What else do you need to know about this disease?

1. The main routes of transmission of hepatitis C are through blood. However, viral agents are not large quantities can also be found in saliva, human lymph, in the seminal fluid of men and in menstrual blood women.
2. The viability of the virus is from 12 to 96 hours.
3. Donated blood must be tested for the presence of this virus. After all, this used to be one of the main routes of infection.
4. The likelihood of infection depends on the person’s immunity, as well as the degree of viral infection.
5. Statistics show that approximately 170 million people worldwide have S. In addition, the number of patients increases by approximately 4 million every year. However, the spread of the disease is not the same in all countries.

About the pathogen

Today 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 living models. However, there is still some information.

1. The virus belongs to the flaviviruses.
2. It is a weak antigen and a persistent pathogen.
3. The virus is genetically heterogeneous. It contains a significant number of geno- and phenotypes.
4. Scientists divide the causative agent of hepatitis, or rather its genotype, into three main groups: “Asian”, “American” and “Japanese”, depending on its location in a particular territory.

Main paths

So, it is imperative to consider the main routes of transmission of hepatitis C.

1. Donor blood. There were more problems with this before. However, in our country, since 1992, all donor blood has been tested for the presence of this virus. The chance of infection may increase with repeated blood transfusions.
2. Using one needle. Today this is the most Main way infection with hepatitis C. This occurs in drug addicts, as well as poor people. It is worth saying that in the so-called “third world” countries, infection with this virus occurs much more often. It's all because of the lack medical supplies and the urgent need to reuse the same injection needle.
3. The virus is also transmitted sexually.
4. The virus can be transmitted from mother to child.
5. Infections are common during tattooing, ear piercing or other body parts. In this case, the cause is the use of unsterile needles.

However, it must also be said that in approximately 40% of cases, the route of transmission of hepatitis C remains unknown.

Other situations

How else do you get hepatitis C? This can happen to almost anyone, anywhere.

1. In places of detention.
2. High risk of infection among healthcare workers. After all, it is not uncommon for doctors to simply not have time to put on gloves, when even a split second can cost a person’s life.
3. You can become infected by using other people's hygiene products - toothbrushes, razors, manicure tools.
4. All places where sanitary and hygienic standards may be violated. These are nail salons, hairdressers, tattoo parlors, etc.
5. You can get infected anywhere public place, accidentally pricking themselves on an infected needle (they are often thrown around by sick teenagers as revenge for being infected).

Sexual transmission

As mentioned above, sexual transmission of hepatitis C is possible. However, this percentage is quite low (no more than 3-5%). It is worth saying that it is impossible to determine by external signs whether a person is sick or not. There is a chance of becoming infected only if sexual intercourse was unprotected. Otherwise, the risk of infection is reduced to zero. When is the degree of infection during sexual intercourse high?

1. During hard sex, when there is damage to the mucous membranes.
2. During intimate relations with a woman who is menstruating.
3. During unprotected anal sex.

Regarding oral sex, doctors do not have a consensus. Those. It is not yet known exactly whether hepatitis C can be infected in this way.

Kisses

Many people may be interested in whether hepatitis C is transmitted through kissing or saliva. The risk of infection in this case is very small. After all, saliva contains a very small percentage of viral agents. However, it is easy to become infected from someone who is already seriously ill.

Airborne path

We next consider viral hepatitis C and the routes of transmission of this disease. It is worth saying that becoming infected with this disease by airborne droplets impossible. Infection will not occur either when talking, or even when an infected person coughs or sneezes. You can also calmly shake hands and hug with such people. Doctors say that consumption general products food and drinks are also not a method of infection. Hepatitis C also cannot be transmitted by insects.

If infection does occur...

Having understood how people become infected with hepatitis C, it is worth talking about what paths of events are possible if infection with the virus has already occurred.

1. If the infected person's immune system is strong, he can make a full recovery. This happens in about 20% of cases.
2. In most cases, after infection, a person acquires chronic form hepatitis C. In this case, you must constantly undergo examination by a doctor, since the virus can become active in the carrier’s body at any time.
3. You can become infected with the virus and remain a carrier of it without even knowing it. It multiplies very slowly, and in some cases neither a biopsy can “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 is worth saying that there are several types of virus, thanks to which the so-called “fresh” infection is possible.

If there is a sick person in the family

If there is a person in the family who is sick with hepatitis C, then the other members need to be extremely careful. After all, as mentioned above, the virus can live in the external environment for up to 96 hours. In this case, the following activities will be important:

1. The patient's clothes and bedding should be washed with white. It is worth remembering that the virus dies at a temperature of 60°C in 30 minutes, and when boiling - in 2-3.
2. All household items must be strictly individual.
3. In case of injuries, the affected areas must be bandaged or covered with a plaster. If you need to help a patient, you need to wear gloves.

At-risk groups

Who and when can a carrier of hepatitis C infect with the virus? High degree risk have:

• health care workers who work with infected people every day;
• people who received blood transfusions before 1987;
• people who had surgery before 1992;
• HIV-infected.

Medium risk:

• people with the most various diseases liver;
• patients who are on hemodialysis;
• babies born from infected mothers.

Weak risk group:

• all health workers;
• SES workers, i.e. sanitary and epidemiological services;
• people who are too active sex life and do not use a condom during sexual intercourse;
• people who have one but infected partner.

Diagnostics

How can it be detected? After all, as was already said above, very often a person has absolutely no external signs and reasons to see a doctor. Thus, the virus can be identified at the next medical research or a routine medical examination. For this you will need:

1. Blood analysis.
2. Ultrasound. Study abdominal cavity.
3. Liver biopsy.

You should seek first aid from an infectious disease specialist. If the patient chronic hepatitis C, the patient is managed by a gastroenterologist or hepatologist.

What do positive research results mean?

Positive test results may mean the following:

1. The patient suffers from a chronic form of hepatitis.
2. The infection has occurred in the past. The person is currently healthy, but has previously dealt with the virus.
3. The result may be false positive. In this case, additional research will be needed.

A few words about treatment

It is worth saying that chronic hepatitis C is the most dangerous. After all, over time it can 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 treating the patient?

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

It is worth saying that modern specialists in domestic medicine have agreed that the most an effective drug When working with people infected with hepatitis C virus, the drug “Interferon-Alpha” is used. Its main task is to prevent subsequent infection of liver cells.

Instructions

Viral hepatitis A (Botkin's disease) is one of the most common in the world. Almost all people suffer from this disease sooner or later. Mostly children get sick, the disease is very similar to the usual intestinal infection. The routes of transmission of the virus are food, water and household contact.

Viral hepatitis A is especially often transmitted through water contaminated with feces, so local outbreaks of infection often occur. The contact and household route of transmission of infection is more often realized in children's institutions (kindergartens, schools) and is associated with low level hygiene (“disease of dirty hands”). Infection occurs through contact with contaminated toys and household items.

Viral hepatitis E is another type of disease with a fecal-oral transmission mechanism. The source of infection is a sick person who excretes the virus in feces. Mostly, infection with the virus occurs through water through drinking contaminated water. Outbreaks of infection often occur in countries with hot climates and low sanitary levels of drinking water.

There is another route of transmission of viral hepatitis E - food. Infection with the virus is possible by eating raw and crustaceans, which are the natural reservoir of the virus. The contact and household route of transmission of infection is practically not realized. This is due to the fact that the concentration of the virus in feces is quite low, and the infectious dose is high.

Viral hepatitis B is an infection specific to humans and is transmitted through blood. The source of infection is a patient with hepatitis B or a carrier. The most common route of transmission is blood contact. For infection, it is enough for only a tenth of a drop of a patient’s blood to fall on the damaged skin or mucous membranes of a healthy person. Infection can occur through medical instruments stained with the patient’s blood, piercing needles, and tattooing. People who use intravenous drugs are also at risk for hepatitis B.

Sexual contact is another way of transmitting hepatitis B. All types of sexual contact are dangerous. The virus is also transmitted by everyday means. When sharing the same manicure accessories, combs, toothbrushes, dishes with a sick person, there is high risk infection. A mother can infect her baby in utero, during childbirth, and through breast milk.

The hepatitis D virus is essentially defective and cannot cause the disease on its own. The virus can only multiply in the presence of the hepatitis B virus. A person can become infected with hepatitis D if he already has hepatitis B, or if both viruses are transmitted at the same time. The routes of transmission of viral hepatitis D are the same as those of hepatitis B (through blood, sexual, household, through breast milk and intrauterine).

Viral hepatitis C is another common infection. The source of infection is a sick person and a carrier of the virus. Infection occurs through blood. The infectious dose for this type of hepatitis is higher than, for example, for hepatitis B, so more blood from the patient is required to transmit the infection. In the past, infection often occurred during blood transfusions. In addition, poorly processed medical instruments, needles are factors in the transmission of the virus. Injecting drug addicts are also at risk for this disease. In a small percentage of cases, the disease can be spread sexually and in utero from mother to child.

Hepatitis is damage to the liver, one of the largest internal organs person. There are many infections that affect its operation. Lifestyle, nutrition and overuse alcohol also play an important role in the destruction of normal, healthy liver. Hepatitis A, B and C, the most common hepatitis viruses, and their causative agents are dangerous because they are viruses of a special group.

Vaccinations against hepatitis A and B have already been invented and are often recommended for infants. Newborns are not vaccinated against hepatitis C. The fact is that the virus itself was discovered relatively recently, a little over twenty years ago, and it is so variable that effective vaccine still fails. At this stage, the main six genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and more than fifty subtypes (1, 1b, etc.) are known. Scientific research of this issue are ongoing.

What it is?

Hepatitis C, abbreviated as hepatitis C, is a viral, infectious disease that develops in the liver as a result of infection with the hepatitis virus (HCV). The virus spreads through contact with an infected person, namely through blood. Infectious hepatitis c has acute and chronic forms.

HCV is a small chain of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viral envelopes that uses material from liver cells for reproduction. The mechanism of RNA activity triggers inflammatory processes in the liver, gradually destroys liver cells (cytolysis process), triggers immune mechanism synthesis of specific antibodies, autoimmune aggression of the body’s protective functions towards inflammatory processes hepatocytes (attack on healthy cells of the immune system).

How is hepatitis C transmitted?

Globally, approximately 150 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus and are at risk of developing cirrhosis and/or liver cancer. Every year, more than 350 thousand people die from hepatitis C-related liver disease. Every year, 3-4 million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus. Today, 7 genotypes of the virus are known.

How is hepatitis C transmitted? The source of infection are patients with active hepatitis C and latent patients are carriers of the virus. HCV infection is an infection with a parenteral mechanism of infection - through infected blood and its components, as well as through semen and vaginal discharge(approximately 3%). Infection is possible during parenteral manipulations, including medical institutions, including the provision of dental services, through injection equipment, acupuncture, piercing, tattooing, and the provision of a number of services in hairdressing salons, however, during sexual contact the likelihood of contracting hepatitis C is much less than hepatitis B, and is reduced to minimal indicators. In 20% of cases, it is not possible to establish the mode of transmission of the virus.

You cannot become infected with hepatitis C:

• when using some household appliances (with the exception of razors, manicures and other accessories that may contain traces of blood);
• when shaking hands, hugging;
• when kissing;
• at joint reception food.

The most dangerous, from the point of view of the source, are patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Genotypes

Genotypes have a specific territorial distribution. For identical genotypes in different territories, the same principles of treatment apply. They are designated Arabic numerals(from one to six), and quasitypes or subtypes are designated by letters Latin alphabet(a, b, c, d, e) and so on:

1. First genotype. Distributed everywhere, three quasitypes are distinguished (1a, 1b, 1c). When confirming this genotype, you should count on long-term treatment, for one year or more.
2. Second genotype. Characterized by the widespread distribution of the genotype and four quasitypes (2 a, b, c, d). The duration of treatment is usually no more than six months.
3. Third genotype. Distributed everywhere. The presence of six quasitypes (3 a, b, c, d, e, f) has been proven. This genotype is characterized by fatty degeneration (infiltration) of the liver parenchyma - steatosis. Treatment time depends on the quality of diagnosis. The average treatment time is limited to six months.
4. Fourth genotype. Distributed in the countries of the Middle East and Central Africa. In Russian conditions it is little studied. Ten quasitypes have been identified (4a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j).
5. Fifth genotype. First registered in South Africa. Has one quasitype. In the conditions of our country it remains a little-studied pathology.
6. Sixth genotype. Registered in Asian countries, has one quasitype. In Russian conditions it is little studied.

The term “genotype” means the differences of the virus at the molecular (genetic) level.

Symptoms of hepatitis C in women and men

The incubation period of the disease before the first signs appear lasts from 1.5 to 6 months (on average 2–3). Acute hepatitis C (see photo) is characterized by a benign course, the condition quickly normalizes, the symptoms of the disease are mild or moderate:

• unexpressed dyspeptic symptoms (1-2 times vomiting, heaviness or dull arching pain in the right hypochondrium, unstable stool, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling of bitterness in the mouth);
• rise in body temperature to low-grade levels (noted by about a third of patients), high fever uncharacteristic;
• liver enlargement;
• icteric staining skin and visible mucous membranes, icterus of the sclera;
• dark coloration of urine, discoloration of feces.

It is characteristic that the severity of the disease in acute hepatitis C is less pronounced than in other forms of viral hepatitis. Recovery from an acute process occurs in 15–35% of infected individuals; in other cases, the disease becomes chronic and continues for many years and even decades.

Symptoms of chronic hepatitis C

Unfortunately, in 70-80% of cases, hepatitis C has a primary chronic course. Long years the disease flows latently, practically without manifesting itself. The person is unaware of his illness, leads a normal lifestyle, drinks alcohol, aggravating his condition, has unprotected sex and infects others. Liver function in hepatitis C for a long time remains compensated, but often such imaginary well-being ends in acute liver failure.

Which indirect signs can make a person think about liver dysfunction?

1. Dull pain under the right rib, periodic nausea, loss of taste. It is important to understand that with the gradual death of liver cells, the remaining tissue mass increases compensatoryly. The liver increases in size and stretches the liver capsule, causing pain syndrome. Since this happens gradually, cirrhosis of the liver due to hepatitis is not characterized by sharp or acute pain.
2. Weakness, lethargy and drowsiness. Extremely nonspecific symptoms characteristic of many diseases, but patients with hepatitis often characterize their weakness as “terrifying.” “I can’t open my eyes,” “I’m ready to sleep 20 hours a day,” “my legs are giving way” - these are characteristics often heard by infectious disease doctors.
3. Periodic yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes. At chronic course hepatitis C jaundice appears and disappears. Often patients note a slight yellowing of the sclera or skin the morning after a festive dinner with an abundance of fatty foods, meat and alcohol. Thus, on normal days the liver copes with the exchange of bilirubin, but after a “double” hit of fatty foods and alcohol, it temporarily fails.
4. Joint pain is also a nonspecific symptom of hepatitis, but occurs quite often.
5. The appearance of bruises, hematomas, spider veins, excessive bleeding gums, heavy menstruation in women indicate a deficiency of blood clotting factors, for which the liver is responsible.
6. Dry and pale skin, hair loss, brittle and flaky nails are the consequences of a lack of vitamins and iron metabolism disorders, for which the liver is responsible. Often, patients with hepatitis have a severe lack of B vitamins and iron, leading to anemia (anemia).
7. Impotence and infertility are often observed in patients with hepatitis C. The inability to conceive a child, recurrent miscarriage are often observed in female carriers of hepatitis C. The main “sexual” symptoms of hepatitis C in men: impotence and spermatogenesis disorders. This occurs due to a violation of the metabolism of sex hormones, which necessarily undergo their transformations in the liver.
8. Edema syndrome and its extreme manifestation is ascites. Edema occurs due to insufficient protein and nutrients in blood. Ascites is an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity with a proportional increase in the abdomen, which the patient notices. This occurs due to impaired blood flow in the vessels of the abdominal cavity. This symptom characteristic of cirrhosis of the liver against the background of hepatitis. Sometimes up to 20 liters of fluid accumulate in the abdominal cavity.

Most often (in approximately 70% of cases), there are no symptoms of either acute or (subsequently) chronic hepatitis for many years; the infected person is bothered increased fatigue, periodically occurring heaviness in the right hypochondrium, intolerance to intense physical activity. In this case, carriage of the virus is determined by chance during preventive examinations, during hospitalization or an attempt to donate blood as a donor.

How to treat?

In the treatment of chronic hepatitis C there is no single standard of treatment; each case is purely individual. Complex treatment is appointed after a thorough analysis of the following factors:

1. Degree of liver damage;
2. Probability of success;
3. The patient's readiness to begin therapy;
4. The presence of concomitant diseases;
5. Potential risks of adverse events.

The most effective treatment for viral hepatitis C today includes complex antiviral therapy with ribavirin and interferon. These drugs are general genotypic, that is, they are effective against all genotypes of the virus.

The difficulty with treatment is that some patients do not tolerate interferon well, and the drug is not widely available. The cost of treatment for hepatitis C is not affordable for everyone, so many patients simply do not complete treatment and the virus develops resistance to the drugs they are taking. If the patient subsequently starts a new course of therapy with resistance to antiviral drugs, there will be no effect from the treatment.

More chances for positive signs response to combination therapy for hepatitis C in individuals:

1. European race;
2. Female;
3. Weight less than 75 kg;
4. Age under 40 years;
5. Low insulin resistance;
6. No signs of severe liver cirrhosis.

Most doctors use a combined treatment regimen for hepatitis, the so-called dual therapy - a combination of interferon, which actively fights the virus, and ribavirin, which enhances the effect of interferon.

Interferon is administered to the patient daily or once every three days. short acting, and once a week - interferon long acting(pegylated interferon), in combination with ribavirin (used daily in tablet form). Depending on the type of virus, the course is 24 or 48 weeks. Genotypes 2 and 3 respond best to therapy - treatment success is 80-90%.

For genotype 1, combination therapy is successful in 50% of cases. If the patient has contraindications to combination therapy, interferon-alpha monotherapy is prescribed. In this case, the course of therapy lasts 12-18 months. Long-term monotherapy with interferon-alpha reduces the viral load in 30-50% of cases.

New drugs for treatment

For November 2016, the final, III phase clinical trials are undergoing next-generation therapeutic regimens consisting of two to three replication inhibitors sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir from Gilead and glezaprevir/pibrentasvir ± sofosbuvir being tested by AbbVie. Both regimens demonstrate high pangenotypic activity and effectiveness in individuals with multiple drug resistance. Both regimens have received breakthrough therapy status from the American FDA: their registration is expected in 2017-2018.

The first pangenotypic representatives of the class of non-nucleoside NS5B polymerase inhibitors CC-31244 and injection form long-acting GSK2878175. Both inhibitors can potentially be used in combination therapy with both other classes of DAAs and antiviral drugs indirect action.

Can hepatitis C go away on its own without treatment?

The likelihood of getting hepatitis C in acute form and recovery is, according to various sources, up to 10-30%. Acute hepatitis C is practically not diagnosed and in most cases becomes chronic.

Chronic hepatitis C does not go away on its own and requires treatment.

How much does treatment cost?

Costs for modern medications, required for treatment can range from $550 to $2500 per month. The duration of treatment is 12 months (respectively, $6600-30000 per year).

Newer, effective, studied, easy-to-use drugs produced by well-known companies are more expensive - 40-100 thousand dollars for a course of therapy.

The main costs are for interferon drugs. Foreign-made pegylated interferons are more expensive than conventional interferons from any manufacturer.

How long can therapy last?

The choice of regimen and duration of treatment depends on the course and stage of hepatitis C, which is determined by the doctor. Treatment with a combination of interferon and ribavirin can last 12 months.

However, unlike many others infectious diseases, for chronic hepatitis C there is no single standard of treatment, it is recommended individual planning V special cases. Complex treatment protocols are provided, taking into account the genotype of the virus, the condition of the liver (indicators of its function and changes in its tissue during biopsy), and viral load.

Doses of drugs and their prescription schedule may vary, and also depend on the types of drugs (for example, different forms interferon).

Is there a vaccine for hepatitis C?

There is no current vaccine yet. However, the search for her is ongoing.

For a long time, scientists have been unable to discover a stable viral protein specific to all genotypes and subtypes of the hepatitis C virus, for which neutralizing antibodies would be produced. The possibilities of genetic engineering technologies to create such a vaccine are being studied.

Currently, several teams of researchers are searching for technologies to create vaccines against the hepatitis C virus. According to WHO, a vaccine for the treatment of hepatitis C is undergoing clinical trials in Europe. There are several international projects to develop a preventive vaccine against hepatitis C.

How to protect your liver if hepatitis C has already been detected

If tests show the presence of infection (anti-HCV), then you should:

1. Immediately stop drinking alcohol;
2. Find your doctor and see him periodically;
3. Do not take any treatment methods (including over-the-counter, “non-traditional”, “approved as harmless”) without consulting your doctor;
4. Get vaccinated against hepatitis B (in any case) and against hepatitis A (if there are any changes in liver function).

Nutrition and diet

Diet for hepatitis C should differ from the standard diet. Compliance with a specific diet is urgently necessary, so changes should be taken with full responsibility. Complete exclusion alcoholic drinks– the first and mandatory point. In addition, there is a completely acceptable list of food products allowed for consumption:

• beef, rabbit, veal, steamed or boiled. Meatballs, cutlets and other variations of meat dishes should be cooked in a double boiler;
• yogurt, kefir and low-fat cottage cheese;
• pasta, all types of cereals;
• vegetable and light butter;
• clear, vegetarian soups (vegetables, cereals, noodles);
• lean chicken and boiled fish;
• fresh and boiled vegetables, except legumes, garlic and radishes;
• raisins, dried apricots, prunes and ripe, juicy, sweet fruits.

Sweets, spicy, salty, smoked, fried foods and raw eggs must be excluded irrevocably. Choosing tactics proper nutrition, remember that in order to fully satisfy the body and build new cells, food must contain not only carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but also vitamins, minerals, and water. Strict, but balanced diet The first six months of treatment are very important, but it is better to stick to a similar diet for several years. The longer you eat according to the above list, the easier it is to finally give up prohibited foods.

Prevention

There is currently no specialized vaccine against hepatitis C. Therefore, to prevent the disease, it is recommended to follow a number of simple rules:

1. When injecting, you cannot use one needle on several people.
2. Piercing and tattooing instruments should be sterilized after each use, and the artist should use disposable gloves.
3. Manicure tools, razors, toothbrushes must be personal and not used by other people.
4. Safe sex. It must be remembered that although the likelihood of infection during unprotected sexual intercourse is relatively low, it increases sharply with casual relationships. In such cases, the use of a condom is mandatory.

To avoid infecting the unborn child, when planning a pregnancy, a woman should be tested for hepatitis C.

Life forecast, how long do they live?

In patients with active hepatitis, i.e. with constantly increased activity transaminases, the risk of transformation into cirrhosis within 20 years reaches 20%. 5% of patients with cirrhosis may develop primary liver cancer.

The likelihood of developing liver cancer is higher when two infections occur simultaneously - hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Long-term use alcohol is also associated with a higher risk of liver cancer.

How long do people live with this diagnosis? General statistics on hepatitis C outcomes are as follows. For every 100 people infected with the hepatitis C virus,

• 55-85 people will have a chronic infection (chronic hepatitis or carriage without symptoms);
• 70 people will have chronic illness liver;
• 5-20 people will develop cirrhosis of the liver within 20-30 years;
• 1-5 people will die from the consequences of chronic hepatitis C (cirrhosis or liver cancer);

To prevent these consequences of chronic hepatitis C, you need to undergo treatment.

It is vital to know how hepatitis C is transmitted and how you can protect yourself from it. terrible disease. At all times, people were afraid of diseases, because they could not protect themselves and their children from polio, whooping cough, and hepatitis. Although the development of vaccines against viruses has cleared the clouds, we now live in a time when there is also a threat of the acquisition and development of a virus. It could be hepatitis C, AIDS, etc. There are several million people on Earth and millions more are added to them every year. Naturally, every person with high probability may become infected dangerous virus. To protect yourself and your loved ones from it, you should know how you can become infected with hepatitis C, the symptoms of the disease and everything about the potential threat - after all, chronic hepatitis C may not show any symptoms.

Routes of transmission of this virus

The modes of transmission of hepatitis C are varied and need to be known. Many people wonder how you can become infected with hepatitis C.

There is a small chance of contracting the virus through household contact when using items intimate hygiene used by the infected patient (razors, toothbrushes that got his blood on them). This type of hepatitis C infection is quite rare. A common way to acquire hepatitis C is through transmission of the virus through blood, whether through a transfusion or a contaminated needle from a tattoo artist. You can become infected by injecting blood during surgery or vaccination, or by getting an injection medical supplies outside medical institutions where needles may be reused. Most people, when asked how hepatitis C is transmitted and who most often gets it, answer: drug-addicted youth. Indeed, drug addicts have a huge risk of contracting hepatitis C.

How do you get hepatitis C? After all, there are other methods of infection besides the above. These are:

• sexual method;
• infection of a child from the mother;
• common routes of infection.

A free self-test will help you determine if your liver is damaged. The liver can be damaged by drugs, mushrooms or alcohol. You may also have hepatitis and not know it yet.

* Compiled by a toxicologist *

At the first manifestations of hepatitis C infection, treatment should be started immediately. Moreover, self-medication should be excluded, no matter what the method of transmission of hepatitis C is. You should definitely consult a doctor.

Eventually cirrhosis or hepatic encephalopathy may develop, making treatment even more difficult.

Information about how you can become infected with hepatitis C concerns each of us, no one is immune from it, we are all at risk of becoming infected with such a formidable and insidious disease, like hepatitis C. How hepatitis C is transmitted, transmission mechanisms, how hepatitis C is not transmitted, what tests diagnose the virus, whether re-infection with hepatitis C is possible and other issues related to hepatitis C are all in this article.

What everyone needs to know about hepatitis C?

• The main mechanism of transmission of hepatitis C is when the blood of a healthy person gets into the blood of not only a patient with hepatitis C, but also a person simply infected with this virus.
• The human blood contains the maximum number of viral agents, but this is not the only biological fluid in which the virus can be found. In small quantities it can be found in menstrual blood in women, in semen in men, in saliva, and in lymph.
• Even in dried out biological fluids In an infected person, this insidious virus has viability, but only from 12 to 96 hours.
• In our country, only after 1992 did universal checks begin to be carried out donated blood for the presence of hepatitis C in it.
• The likelihood of infection also depends on the state of the immune system of a person who has had contact with the blood of an infected person, and on the degree of viral infection of this contact patient.
• Over 170 million of the world's population have chronic hepatitis C. Every year the number of infected people increases by 4 million. This disease exists in all countries, but the percentage of infected people in different countries varies greatly.

When is the risk of contracting hepatitis C high?

In all salons where manipulations are carried out with non-sterile instruments and materials with possible blood-to-blood contact. This primarily applies to manicure and pedicure salons, tattoo parlors, where tattoos and piercings are performed, and where sanitary safety rules are not strictly observed.

Most often, infection occurs through the joint use of drugs through intravenous injections, since active exchange occurs significant amount blood, so the bulk of infected people are young people.

In places of detention there is also a high risk of contracting hepatitis C.

There is a high risk of infection in medical workers when working with infected blood, this is possible if medical personnel are injured during manipulations or procedures with infected blood.

Before 1992, blood transfusions surgical operations could be the cause of human infection, according to some estimates this is 4% of all cases of infection.

When using other people's personal hygiene products - manicure instruments, razors, toothbrushes, etc., which may contain microparticles of infected blood. If blood particles enter the blood of a healthy person, it can cause infection with a virus.

In developing countries with medical procedures and manipulations with blood, for example, in dental offices, during operations, injuries, and vaccinations, there is still a high risk of contracting hepatitis C. In Russia, there are also still offices (tattoo parlors, hairdressers) where violations can be grossly sanitary standards and rules for processing tools.

It is usually rarely possible to establish the true source of hepatitis C infection, since it is quite long-lasting.

Is hepatitis C transmitted sexually?

For hepatitis C, sexual transmission considered unlikely to be infected. If you had unprotected sexual contact with an infected partner, then the probability of infection is no more than 3-5%.

Using a condom reduces the risk of infection to zero. By appearance It is impossible to determine whether a person has hepatitis C or not, much less understand whether he is infected or not.

The risk of sexually transmitted hepatitis C increases with a large number of regular casual relationships without protection, as well as with aggressive sex with possible damage mucous membranes, their bleeding, with anal sex without a condom or sexual intercourse during a woman's menstruation. If a person is married, then the risk of infection through sexual contact is minimal (1%).

Is hepatitis C transmitted through saliva or a kiss?

It is believed that through kissing and saliva the risk of transmitting hepatitis C is reduced to zero, since the presence of the virus in saliva is possible only in minimal quantities and only if the person is already seriously ill with hepatitis. Therefore, transmission of hepatitis C through kissing is impossible or unlikely. However, it has not yet been established whether oral sex, for example, by transmitting a virus?

Is hepatitis transmitted to a child from the mother?

This happens extremely rarely; hepatitis C can be transmitted from an infected mother to the fetus during childbirth in only 5% of cases. During pregnancy, the virus is not transmitted through the placenta, but when passing birth canal, the child may be infected. However, most babies born to infected mothers are healthy.

Medicine in Russia today does not yet have accurate statistical data on the course of infection in adults and children. There are also no clear methods for preventing infection. Neither protocols for the treatment of newborns, nor data on observations of sick women and children in our country have been developed or maintained. Whether they will be held in the future also remains a big question. Testing for the presence of hepatitis C virus in a child born to mothers with hepatitis should be carried out no earlier than 1-1.5 years after birth.

There are also no clear studies on whether hepatitis C is transmitted through mother's milk or not. For now, doctors recommend that mothers with hepatitis C not breastfeed if there are cracks in the mammary glands, wounds, or damage to the integrity of the breasts. mammary glands. Considering how hepatitis C is transmitted, the mother should always be vigilant and should perceive any wound with bleeding as real threat transmission of the virus to their children and loved ones.

Is hepatitis C transmitted through household contact or airborne transmission?

Hepatitis C is definitely not transmitted by airborne droplets, neither by talking, nor by coughing or sneezing. Also, neither handshakes, nor hugs, nor shared kitchen utensils, shared food or drinks contribute to the spread of the virus, and hepatitis C is not transmitted through insect bites.

Only in case of injury, abrasion, or in everyday life can transmission of the virus from the carrier to healthy person, through particles of blood, but the likelihood of this is negligible. The presence of infection should not be a reason to isolate this family member and create for him special conditions. You just have to be careful if someone carrying the virus has bleeding wounds. Young people who are carriers of the virus in Russia are exempt from serving in the country’s army.

If infection occurs, is it possible not to get hepatitis C?

• With very strong immune system, after infection, a person transfers hepatitis C to mild form and gets better. The frequency of such cases approaches 20%.
• In most cases - 70%, after infection, a person acquires chronic hepatitis C. Therefore, all carriers of the virus, without exception, should be regularly examined and observed by a doctor, since the risk of virus activation remains in all carriers for the rest of their lives.
• You can also become infected and remain a carrier of the virus. At the same time, hepatitis C multiplies very slowly, without showing any symptoms. Neither liver tests nor liver biopsy are abnormal and no changes are observed. However, this does not exclude the progression of the virus in a latent form.

Can I become infected and get sick with hepatitis C again?

Yes, since immunity to the virus is not developed when re-infection the risks are absolutely the same, even if it was carried out successful treatment hepatitis C in the past. In addition, there are several types of hepatitis C virus that can be newly infected and also cause hepatitis.

Risk group for hepatitis C - who should be especially careful?

High risk infections in the following categories of citizens:

• In people who received blood transfusions before 1987, as well as all persons who had surgical interventions until 1992.
• Health care workers who have daily contact with people infected with hepatitis C.
• In people who use injection drugs.
• HIV infected people(cm.)

Average increased risk hepatitis C infection:

• People with various undiagnosed liver diseases
• Patients on hemodialysis
• Children born to infected mothers are always at risk of accidentally becoming infected from their mother.

Low risk of infection:

• All medical workers
• Employees of sanitary and epidemiological services
• People who are sexually active, have many casual partners and do not use condoms.
• People with one but infected partner

Who should be tested first?

• All people at risk should be screened for hepatitis C annually.
• Medical workers annually and in the event that after a needle prick, patients’ blood gets into, for example, a wound or eye.
• Even with isolated case casual unprotected sex, injection drug use even many years ago.
• All persons infected with HIV are also tested for hepatitis C.

The most important test, which is done in all clinics and private laboratories, is blood using the ELISA method for antibodies to hepatitis C. It positive result only indicates the fact of infection, and not the progression of hepatitis. This is not a 100% accurate diagnosis, as there are false negatives and false positive tests for a variety of reasons. If a person suspects that this analysis is unreliable, he should undergo a more accurate diagnosis.

There is a family member with hepatitis C - what to do?

Considering how hepatitis C is transmitted and that it survives in the external environment for up to 96 hours, if by chance the blood of an infected family member gets somewhere in the room, on clothing, etc., the surface should be treated with any chlorine-containing products - Domestos, Whiteness, Chlorhexidine (for skin). When washing clothes or linen at 60C, the virus dies in half an hour, and when boiled, in two minutes.

The virus carrier himself must follow basic measures to prevent transmission of the infection to his loved ones:

• For any injuries, abrasions and bleeding, you should urgently bandage the injury sites or cover them with a plaster. When assisting an infected family member, gloves should be worn.
• Have only personal manicure sets, razors, epilators, toothbrushes, and never use those household items that are used by other family members and which may be potential factors for transmitting the virus.