The main routes of infection with hepatitis C. Viral hepatitis: what is it? How is it transmitted

Hepatitis C is one of the most dangerous viral diseases today. It spreads through the blood, so patients of dental clinics, blood donors, medical workers are at risk. Early diagnosis, as well as therapy, helps to cope with the disease and stop the spread of this virus.

What is hepatitis C virus

The hepatitis C virus is a small particle that consists of genetic material (RNA) in its core and is also surrounded by a protective protein and lipid coat.

Thanks to the discovery in 1989 of viral RNA in the blood of an infected person, doctors were able to identify this disease and begin to develop ways to combat it. To date, there are 6 genotypes of this virus, as well as 90 subtypes. The genotype of the virus is very important in determining the type of treatment.

Virus types tend to mutate and become resistant to treatment over time, developing immunity to even the strongest antibiotics. This explains the fact that a single working vaccine has not yet been created to combat this dangerous virus.

The virus that causes the disease primarily affects the liver. Its functional duties are vital: the removal of harmful substances from the body, ensuring the processes of digestion, the processing of vitamins, nutrients from food, as well as participation in the processes of blood clotting, for example, with cuts or wounds. Therefore, early diagnosis of hepatitis C is extremely important.

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Ways of spread and infection of hepatitis C

• In medical institutions when using non-sterile syringes for intravenous or intramuscular injections.
• In tattoo parlors when applying tattoos, piercing procedures using non-sterile needles.
• during a blood transfusion procedure.
• Sexually. The probability of transmitting the hepatitis C virus in this way is much lower than hepatitis B. In order for a person to become infected during sexual intercourse, there must be special conditions, namely "blood" contact (ulcers, wounds, cuts or during menstruation).

It is important to know that hepatitis C is not transmitted:

1. Airborne;
2. When eating together;
3. When using some cutlery;
4. With tactile contact.

The clinical picture of the development of hepatitis C

In the process of development, hepatitis C causes:

• Steatosis, that is, the accumulation of fat cells in the liver. Develops in 50% of infected people.
• Fibrosis is the formation of scar tissue in the liver.
• Cirrhosis, which causes irreversible changes in the tissue of the organ. Hepatitis C in men most often causes this particular form of liver dysfunction.

1. Causes significant liver failure.
2. May cause bleeding. Blood clotting decreases, therefore, with the slightest cuts, wounds or bruises, serious bleeding is possible.
3. Causes encephalopathy, that is, brain damage. This is due to a violation of the function of the liver to remove dangerous waste products of the body.
4. May cause primary liver cancer.

Groups at risk of contracting hepatitis C

• People leading a chaotic sex life. Ignoring contraception (condoms) also increases the risk of infection.
• Drug addicts. This social group is at particular risk of getting chronic hepatitis C because unsterile needles are often used to administer drugs.
• Persons who are regular sexual partners of an infected person.
• People who need frequent transfusions of blood or blood components.
• Patients who are in need of dialysis or "artificial kidney".
• Children whose mothers are infected with hepatitis C.
• Health workers who are constantly in contact with blood.

Symptoms of hepatitis C in adults

In the case of primary infection, a person, not having characteristic symptoms until a certain time, may not be aware of his illness. General weakness of the body, fatigue, insomnia can be attributed to a seasonal drop in immunity, especially during the cold periods of the year. This condition is very dangerous for the infected person, as well as for his environment. Being ignorant, he himself is the source of the spread of hepatitis C.

Most often, people learn about their illness during tests during a routine medical examination or when trying to become a blood donor. Clinical medicine recorded cases when patients were carriers of the virus for twenty or even forty years. However, they did not get sick and they never had problems with the liver.

Most infected people experience the following symptoms of hepatitis C: loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, nausea and vomiting, indigestion, yellowing of the skin and eyeballs (which is why hepatitis is popularly called “jaundice”), a change in the color of urine, up to dark brown, discoloration of feces (white feces).

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The danger of hepatitis C in pregnant women

It is worth noting that if more than 2 million copies of hepatitis C virus RNA are found in the mother's blood, then the probability of intrauterine infection is 30%. If less than a million are found, the chances of transmitting the virus to a child are minimal. If a pregnant woman has antibodies to this virus, then the probability of infection of the baby is zero. In addition, antibodies remain in the child's body for two years.

The risk of contracting hepatitis C is an order of magnitude higher if the baby's skin was damaged during childbirth (for example, when the midwife used forceps). At the same time, the risk of infection during caesarean section is much lower.

It is very important that a woman takes a responsible attitude to her health, not only throughout pregnancy, but also in the period of preparation for it. An analysis for the presence of hepatitis C is done six months before the start of pregnancy planning.

Signs of hepatitis C in children

Infection with hepatitis C in children most often occurs at the dentist's office, with the introduction of drugs by injection, blood transfusion or hemodialysis. Adolescents have a chance of becoming infected while using drugs, in violation of the rules of skin hygiene, when applying tattoos and piercing with non-disinfected instruments.

The incubation period in this case is from two weeks to six months. Symptoms of hepatitis occur in less than 50% of infections. They are expressed as follows: yellowing of the skin, yellowing of the whites of the eyes, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. They arise due to general intoxication of the body due to inflammation of the liver.

The acute form of the disease begins slowly. Symptoms increase gradually. At the same time, dyspeptic disorders develop (disruption of the normal activity of the stomach, painful digestion), as well as asthenovegetative syndrome (a consequence of vascular pathologies of the brain, expressed in the failure of nerve impulses).

Symptoms of "jaundice" in children may also be accompanied by fever, headache. Feces become whitish, urine, on the contrary, acquires a brownish tint.

Video about the hepatitis C virus, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment:

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Hepatitis is an incurable liver disease, so you need to know how hepatitis C is transmitted. With the disease, vital liver cells die. Transmission of hepatitis C also affects other internal organs. This process is difficult to diagnose and quickly becomes chronic. Therefore, everyone should know how to protect themselves and loved ones from the danger of infection. Chronic hepatitis C affects nearly 170 million people worldwide. Every year, another 3-4 million cases are added to them. Most of the patients are in the Asian region, where hundreds of thousands of people die of liver cancer every year.

The causative agent is the hepatitis C virus

A virus of the Flaviviridae family replicates in hepatocytes. Infected cells contain up to 50 viruses. You may or may not have symptoms of the disease in humans. It can act as a carrier of infected cells. Under special conditions, the virus is activated and causes obvious symptoms of the disease. The Flaviviridae virus can live in blood cells, which causes disturbances in the protective functions of the body. It changes, has many varieties that have their own habitats and distribution.

Hepatitis C virus

is contained not only in the blood, but also in other fluids of the human body - saliva, sexual secrets, semen, breast milk.

The disease has a long incubation period and does not manifest itself at an early stage. It can be detected by testing for antibodies to the virus. If the result is positive, it is necessary to pass a more complex blood test to determine the genotype of the virus. Treatment is complex and lengthy, it is built according to a certain scheme.

Hepatitis C often becomes chronic in a person who does not have obvious signs of liver decomposition and pain. Every twentieth patient dies for this reason. People are rarely tested for hepatitis without a reason.

And this dangerous disease can live in the body for decades and not manifest itself.

Often, patients resort to treatment at the stage of irreversible processes in the liver. Hepatitis often leads to cancer or cirrhosis. The routes of infection are varied.

How can you get hepatitis?

Responsibility for this lies with the health workers and hairdressers. Therefore, choose reliable medical and cosmetic institutions where there is no danger. Anyone can get sick. The carrier of the disease is often unaware of it.

Infection in any case occurs by entering the virus into the blood.

In blood-related medical procedures, the infection is often transmitted from a sick patient to a healthcare worker or through an instrument to the patient. How does it happen?

When injected with a poorly treated needle in a medical facility, the virus enters the blood of a healthy person. Such are the ways of the spread of the disease among drug addicts, when more than one person was injected with one syringe. Among them, probably, there may be a carrier or a sick person. The degree of risk depends on the amount of contaminated blood retained by the needle with which the patient pricked, on the thickness of the needle and the content of the virus in the RNA. The virus can be obtained by a healthy person through a blood transfusion. This is extremely rare in a medical setting, as all donors are screened for hepatitis. Donor blood is taken with a disposable needle. But during emergency operations, untested blood can carry a threat of infection. If the donor has recently become infected, then he is a carrier. Markers of infection in the blood at this time will not appear. Their analysis may not show. The carrier of the disease can feel quite satisfactory. Any medical intervention that involves contact with blood or a needle prick can result in infection. These are dental manipulations, surgical and gynecological operations. It is necessary to be careful about non-traditional methods of treatment associated with skin punctures with a needle. The penetration of the virus is possible when shaving in a barbershop, if the master inadvertently injures the skin and blood comes out, when stuffing the tattoo with a dirty needle. A dirty tool carries the risk of infection not only with hepatitis, but also with other skin and viral infections. Injections should only be done with a disposable needle.

Infection with hepatitis in newborns during childbirth. Infected semen does not affect the baby. Hepatitis is not transmitted to him if the father is a carrier or even sick. The virus does not cross the placenta.

Infection occurs in the following way:

If the mother is sick herself or she is a carrier, then during childbirth, when the child passes through the birth canal, his skin is injured, here, by contact with the mother's blood, the virus can enter the child's blood. There is also a threat of infection of the baby if the nipples of a nursing mother have microcracks into which blood is released. You can lubricate them constantly with softening ointments or use nipple covers.

The viruses that are contained in the milk itself are broken down during digestion and do not threaten the child.

Mother's scratches release a virus that can enter the newborn's bloodstream. If the mother is ill with HIV infection, the risk of infection of the fetus with hepatitis increases 3 times. Treatment of hepatitis during pregnancy can be carried out in the second half of the term. The risk of miscarriage and complications does not increase in sick women.

If the mother is a carrier of diseased cells, then treatment can be quite successful. If the disease in the mother has become chronic, then there is a risk of premature birth or poor development of the child. Children of sick mothers are predisposed to liver failure.

Infected women in labor are isolated in special institutions so as not to pose a threat of infection to healthy women. Specially trained personnel will take all measures so that a healthy baby does not become infected from the mother during feeding through blood particles. These babies are born by caesarean section. Then there is less risk of injuring the skin of the child.

Congenital hepatitis is incurable, it becomes chronic. Conventional treatments do not help newborns.

An infected woman can give birth to a healthy child, but this must be done under special conditions to prevent infection of the baby.

The following methods of infection with the virus:

Sexual infection. 5% of infection is due to this method. There is no high content of the virus in semen and female secretions. The human carrier of the virus is practically not dangerous. If the mucous membrane is inflamed or there are microtraumas, then through the blood contained in the semen, viruses can enter the woman's body. Such a path is possible. With diseases of the genital organs or the presence of HIV, it is possible, and even absolutely necessary, to protect yourself with condoms. In a monogamous partnership, the virus is not transmitted from husband to wife. Intimate communication should be excluded during menstruation with a partner. If hygienic norms and rules are strictly observed, a patient with hepatitis C does not pose a threat to family members. He must have personal hygiene products - a manicure set, scissors, a razor, a toothbrush, and so on. This virus is not transmitted through dishes, clothes and hands. Saliva contains markers of the disease, but their number is negligible. It is extremely rare to get the virus through a kiss or when sneezing if saliva gets on an open wound. Household way. Hepatitis C is often transmitted by shaking hands or touching is unlikely to become infected. This is possible if both people have scratches, cracks or wounds on their hands. In everyday life, infection is possible from cutlery, if there are lesions or inflammations on the mucous membrane of a sick person and a healthy one. At the table, you should not eat with common or other people's appliances. The rules of personal hygiene for a person forbid it. Towels, underwear, washcloths and brushes for the patient must be personal.

If a healthy person is pricked with a needle after a sick person, the virus can enter the bloodstream. You can catch the virus in this way with weak immunity.

So, it is necessary to strengthen health in order to be able to resist viral infections, which include hepatitis C.

In everyday life, during a fight involving an infected person, the risk of becoming infected increases many times over. In abrasions and bruises with close contact, infected cells can enter through the blood. In this way, too, hepatitis C is transmitted. With such a fight, you should immediately seek medical help.

At-risk groups

There are the following risk groups of people who have an increased likelihood of the disease:

injection drug addicts; patients who have undergone blood transfusion; patients on hemodialysis; in organ transplantation; healthcare workers dealing with open blood of patients; children of infected mothers; people who have promiscuous sex.

The likelihood of the virus spreading is constantly being investigated.

Different forms of infection carry more or less infected material. In accordance with this, the ways of treatment, dosages of drugs and their combination are selected.

Infection prevention

Some tips on how to avoid contracting hepatitis:

Tip 1. Feel free to ask what instrument you are being treated with. Make sure the toolkit is disposable or well-crafted. As far as possible, protect yourself. You can get infected with an untreated needle. Tip 2. If there are wounds, scratches, cracks, peeling on the face or scalp, then you should first heal them, and then after a while you can go to the hairdresser or beautician. The chance of infection will be reduced to zero. Tip 3. Try to avoid visiting crowded places where your skin can come into contact with the skin of other people, in this case the skin has no protection. These are swimming pools, baths, solariums. Tip 4. If you have the slightest suspicion of the presence of a virus, you can undergo an examination, take tests yourself. Timely treatment has every chance of a complete victory over the disease after a while. Methods of healing are improving, and there is no reason to give up. Hepatitis C is treated successfully in 60-90%.

Hepatitis C is a chronic liver disease that is diagnosed in more than 3 million people every year.

This disease is characterized by the development of fibrosis and the death of hepatocytes. The Hepatitis C virus can infect internal organs, masquerading as a variety of different pathologies. This makes it difficult to both diagnose the disease and carry out the correct treatment. That is why everyone needs to know how hepatitis C is transmitted in order to reduce the chance of infection.

What is hepatitis C?

This is a small virus belonging to the Flaviviridae family, which contains genetic material in the form of an RNA molecule surrounded by a lipid and protein shell of a special structure.

It is this shell that facilitates the penetration and fixation of the virus in the cell. In most cases, viruses multiply in liver cells.

One infected cell produces more than fifty viral particles. A carrier of this virus can infect a healthy person without even knowing that he himself is sick. Because there may be no signs of the disease. It should be noted that HCV can also multiply in blood cells, which leads to the manifestation of various immunological disorders, which manifest themselves in an open and latent form.

How does infection occur?

The main route of transmission of infection is the hematogenous parenteral (through the blood) route. In most cases, infection with the hepatitis C virus occurs when a certain amount of infected blood is injected with a shared needle.

In everyday life, infection with the hepatitis C virus is possible when performing tattoos, piercings, manicures, tools contaminated with blood by the carrier of the infection. It is also possible to become infected with the virus during operations and injuries, during vaccination and in dental offices. But in developed countries, the risk of infection through these methods of infection is less likely.

Ways of transmission of hepatitis

Transmission of hepatitis C virus from mother to child

From a mother infected with this virus, transmission occurs quite rarely, in no more than 5 percent of cases. Infection is possible only during childbirth, only when passing through the birth canal. Unfortunately, it is impossible to prevent infection in this case. But, fortunately, the percentage of the probability of infection is quite small. And it rises only if the woman giving birth is infected with 2 viruses - hepatitis C and HIV. Under such circumstances, the percentage rises to 15 percent.

The role of infection in the postpartum period is quite small. Although the hepatitis C virus can be found in the milk of a breastfeeding mother, transmission of the HCV virus from mother to child is not possible. This is explained by the fact that the digestive juices, together with the enzymes of the child, prevent infection. Breastfeeding doctors recommend canceling only in cases of violations of the integrity of the skin of the mammary glands and in case of bleeding.

Sexual transmission of hepatitis

Sexual transmission of this virus is minimal. With unprotected sexual contact with a sick person, the virus can be transmitted in only 4-5% of cases. Monogamous marriage implies a negligible risk of infection, in contrast to the frequent change of partners and a large number of casual relationships.

Persons who have sexual contact with a sick person, or persons who are carriers of the virus, must use contraception. Especially doctors do not recommend unprotected intercourse during menstruation, regardless of the person infected with hepatitis C, be it a man or a woman.

It is worth considering that it is impossible to determine the presence of a disease by the appearance of a person, and even more so, whether he is a carrier of the hepatitis C virus. It is advisable to examine the markers of the hepatitis C virus once a year.

Syringe injections

The largest percentage of patients become infected through injections. Basically, this method of infection is associated with the use of drugs. According to statistics, more than 75 percent of people who use drugs are infected with hepatitis C. Another cause of the so-called "syringe hepatitis" is medical manipulation of intravenous, intramuscular and any other subcutaneous infections made with non-sterile syringes.

This can happen due to the negligence of medical professionals. The likelihood of infection from an injection depends on the amount of infected blood remaining in the needle and the concentration of viral ribonucleic acid. In this case, the size of the lumen of the needle or cannula plays an important role.

Narrow lumen play, which is used for intramuscular injections, carries a much lower risk of infection than wide lumen cannulas.

Blood transfusion

There is another option for contracting hepatitis C - a transfusion of blood and its components. According to statistics, the percentage of patients with hepatitis is quite high among people who received blood transfusions. Until 1986, there were no tests in the world to detect the hepatitis C virus. At that time, this infection was called "for A, not for B." This emphasized the difference from hepatitis A and B - the nature of the viral pathology affecting the liver, but donor studies were not developed.

It was only in the early 1990s that this became possible. It is for this reason that there was a large percentage of hepatitis C infection among those people who underwent a blood transfusion procedure. Now there are practically no such cases, because. Donor screening is mandatory. But there are exceptions, for example, when the donor has recently been infected and markers of infection have not yet been detected.

Dentistry and cosmetology

During dental procedures, infection can occur if sanitary and epidemiological standards are not observed. Because of this, particles of contaminated blood can remain on untreated instruments properly. To avoid this method of infection, you should not use the services of non-specialized institutions.

Infection in trauma

If the skin is broken and blood containing hepatitis C RNA enters the wound, infection becomes possible. Similar cases can occur in fights, car accidents, injuries received at work.

With normal household contacts

Hepatitis C cannot be contracted by airborne droplets (during a conversation, sneezing, with saliva, etc.), hugging, shaking hands, using common dishes, etc. In other words, the transmission of viral hepatitis C in everyday life is impossible without the entry of blood particles from the carrier of the virus into the blood of a healthy person.

Risks of contracting hepatitis C

There are groups of people who are at high risk of becoming infected with hepatitis C. There are three levels of increased risk.

The highest risk are:

people who inject drugs; HIV-infected people; persons who received blood transfusions (until 1987).

intermediate risk. This group includes:

people who received an organ transplant or blood transfusion from a donor who tested positive for HCV (before 1992); persons with unidentified liver disease; babies born to HCV-infected mothers.

Slightly increased risk. This group includes:

medical workers and employees of the sanitary and epidemiological service; persons who have sex with a large number of partners; persons who have sexual contact with one HCV-infected partner.

Who needs to be tested first?

It is recommended to conduct an examination for all persons at risk, as well as for women planning a pregnancy. Health care workers are required not only to be checked annually, but also after each case of a needle stick and contact with the patient's blood.

One of the main tests that can be done in all clinics and laboratories is blood donation by ELISA for the presence of antibodies to hepatitis C. A positive result can only indicate the fact of infection, and not the progression of the disease. But it is worth considering that this method is not 100% diagnostic for a number of reasons, because there are false positive and false negative tests. For a more accurate result, it is necessary to take a blood test for hepatitis C virus RNA (by PCR), a blood test for the genotype and amount of HCV, and a biochemical blood test for AST, ALT and GGTP.

Prevention of hepatitis C

Prevention is sensible care, as there is currently no vaccine against the hepatitis C virus. This is the only way to prevent infection. To protect yourself, follow a few simple rules:

Do not use other people's personal belongings: razors, manicure tools and toothbrushes. Do not get tattoos, piercings, manicures in suspicious salons. Always ensure that tattoo needles are disposable and that reusable instruments are sterilized using special equipment. Do not use drugs. Use condoms for casual contact.

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

Ways 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 get hepatitis C.

There is a small chance of becoming infected with the virus in a household way when using intimate hygiene items that an infected patient used (razors, a toothbrush that got his blood). Such infection with hepatitis C is quite rare. A common way to acquire hepatitis C is through the 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 an operation or vaccination, by injecting medicines outside of medical institutions where needles can be reused. When asked how hepatitis C is transmitted and who gets it most often, most people 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 ways of infection besides those listed above. These are:

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

A free self-diagnosis checklist will help determine if your liver is damaged. The liver can be damaged by drugs, mushrooms, or alcohol. You can 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, whatever the mode of transmission of hepatitis C. Be sure to consult a doctor.

Eventually, cirrhosis of the liver or hepatic encephalopathy may develop, and treatment will become even more difficult.

There is an opinion that a person with hepatitis is doomed, if not to death, then at least to eternal suffering. Of course, the treatment of hepatitis is not an easy task, but it is not at all hopeless. Hepatitis C (C) is a viral disease that primarily affects the liver cells, but when complicated and in advanced form, the pancreas, thyroid gland and kidneys also suffer. Caused by a virus - HCV.

The virus is highly variable, often mutating into different genetic forms. There are 6 genotypes of this virus and about 40 subspecies. Very stable in the environment.

According to WHO statistics, up to three percent of people on our planet suffer from this disease. The frequency of the disease occurs between the ages of twenty and forty years. The centers of distribution on earth are the countries of Asia and North Africa.

Why is hepatitis C dangerous?

The disease is difficult to diagnose. Often asymptomatic, in the form of post-transfusion hepatitis, often occurs without jaundice and tends to become chronic.

Hepatitis C is dangerous for the hidden course of the disease, it is also called the “gentle killer” because of the ability to disguise the true cause under the guise of many other diseases.

Within 10 - 20 years, the disease can be asymptomatic, little by little destroying and undermining the health of a sick person. If treatment is not started in time, in 80% of cases it becomes chronic. Persistent, chronic inflammation of the liver can develop into cirrhosis of the liver, and even liver cancer.

The virus is highly variable, often mutating into different genetic forms. There are 6 genotypes of this virus and about 40 subspecies.

How is hepatitis C transmitted from person to person?

The main and main cause of infection with hepatitis C is a sick person. Viral hepatitis is a severe and formidable disease leading to chronic inflammation of the liver and mortality from complications. Basically, only four main routes of transmission of the virus are known.

How is it transmittedhepatitis C from person to person depends on many factors . The hepatitis C virus is transmitted mainly using four routes of human infection. Most of all, infection occurs through the blood, as a fresh, so little noticeable to the naked eye, a dried drop of blood. As you can see, compliance with the sterility of medical instruments and equipment comes to the fore.

Hepatitis C is an anthroponotic disease, a viral route of transmission by parenteral route and instrumental infection. Infection is also possible through damaged skin and mucous membranes, the most dangerous transmission factor is blood.

Viral transmission of hepatitis C

• directly through the blood
• from mother to child
• transmitted during sexual intercourse, although this mode of transmission of the virus is ambiguous.
• through a non-sterile or poorly disinfected instrument, hepatitis C virus, genotype 1, (1b - blood-borne infection).

In any case, having sex with a person infected with the hepatitis virus or not, without a condom is dangerous in itself with the possibility of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases.

The virus is mainly transmitted by direct blood-to-blood contact. Penetrating into the liver cells, it causes the cells to reproduce themselves, multiplying intensified in the body of a person with hepatitis. Over time, in the form of ongoing inflammation (a chronic form of hepatitis), it replaces healthy liver cells with connective tissue, leading to the development of cirrhosis of the liver. According to statistics, if the infectious and inflammatory process in hepatitis C lasts more than six months, we can talk about the transition to the chronic form of the disease. This happens quite often in almost 80 percent of cases.

Frequent questions to the doctor about the transmission of hepatitis C to a person in everyday life

Hepatitis C How long can a sick person live?

Everything will depend on the effectiveness of the prescribed course of treatment, and early diagnosis in order to prevent the disease from turning into chronic hepatitis. And also on the state of the body at the time of infection, the age of the patient, the presence of addictions and other chronic diseases that aggravate the course of the disease.

Is it transmitted through saliva or during a kiss?

No, hepatitis C is not transmitted by kissing. There is no risk of getting sick, since the saliva, semen of the patient, the virus contains very little and it is unable to cause the disease, unless the patient is in a severe stage of the disease.

There have also been no cases of transmission of hepatitis C virus through oral sex. Diseases in the family and infection of the wife from her husband through sexual contact are very rare.

Is it transmitted through the bed, sexually?

Yes, you can get infected, although the risk of infection is not high and is no more than 6%. Use a condom to prevent infection 100%.

Transmitted through instruments?

What measures should beauty salons take to eliminate the risk of infection, is it enough to disinfect if the tools are simply wiped with alcohol?

The virus is persistent in the external environment, and can persist in an inconspicuous dried drop of blood for about a week!

Processing of tools must take place in accordance with the instructions of the SES, disinfection with alcohol is not limited here. The risk of getting sick increases significantly when visiting dubious tattoo parlors for tattoo lovers.

Is hepatitis C transmitted from person to person by airborne droplets, like with the flu?

No, this is impossible. Neither when talking nor when sneezing, the hepatitis C virus is not released by airborne droplets. It is also impossible to get infected through household items, through kitchen utensils, and so on.

If a loved one has been ill and has HBS antigens in the blood, what is the risk of infection through domestic contact?

The risk of infection from a person in whom the HBS antigen is detected in the blood to a healthy person through the domestic route is possible. Such a person should be examined by an infectious disease doctor. People who have close contact with such people are recommended to be vaccinated against hepatitis.

Chronic hepatitis C, modes of transmission

In the world today, at least 200 million people are infected with hepatitis, of which most of them are diagnosed in the chronic course of the disease. Patients with chronic hepatitis are carriers of the infection, which is transmitted to others. Among people with a chronic form, about 25% suffer from cirrhosis of the liver, 27% have hepatocellular carcinoma. The risk of infection from a patient with a chronic form is quite high, almost the same as with any form, if the rules of hygiene and disinfection of instruments are not followed. Toxic and autoimmune hepatitis are not dangerous for others.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a virus living in the blood, which at one time was called the hepatitis virus, which does not relate to the categories of hepatitis A and B. The virus is very insidious and dangerous human disease caused by it is produced in the cells of the liver tissue. The virus, penetrating into the liver cell, multiplies, destroys the cell, which leads to an inflammatory process and cell death. The disease is very insidious, as it may not give obvious symptoms of the disease for decades, proceeding in a latent chronic form, which leads to the development of such formidable diseases as malignant neoplasms and cirrhosis and acute liver failure.

In an untreated and neglected form, the disease turns into a chronic form, it is difficult to treat with traditional medicines. The main danger is the asymptomatic course of the disease. It is often diagnosed by chance during a blood test.

Symptoms and signs of hepatitis C

Symptoms of hepatitis C are manifested not only by constant fatigue and fatigue, but also by pain in the joints in the abdomen, muscle pain, itching of the skin. Patients in acute form have dark urine and yellowish skin, yellowness of the whites of the eye, jaundice (the release of bilirubin into the blood). May be accompanied by vomiting, clouding of consciousness.

Diagnosis of Hepatitis C

Diagnosis of the virus (viral RNA) is carried out by taking blood tests for PCR. PCR hepatitis test gives the most accurate diagnosis of hepatitis. 90% of patients detect antibodies (anti - HCV) during the first 3 months, by PCR after 2 weeks.

It cannot be assumed that the detected antibodies (anti-HCV) are the hepatitis virus itself. Anti-HCV is just a protein produced by the human immune system in response to the appearance of a virus in the body. Antibodies can be of various types. Sometimes they can be present in the body when the virus itself is gone!

It is very important to understand at what stage of the disease you have, in chronic, latent, or antibodies to the hepatitis virus remained after the illness. This helps to prevent further destruction of liver tissue and the ability to fully live in the future for such a patient, especially in the active phase of hepatitis and in its latent form.

You should not hope that the body can overcome the disease on its own, although such a hope is not excluded. In 20% of cases, this happens just like that, a person recovers on his own. But this percentage, you will agree, is not high. If you have antibodies to the hepatitis C virus, this may indicate that the disease has become chronic.

If hepatitis antibodies are detected, additional tests should be taken to rule out a false diagnosis.

Usually, a very accurate test for the detection of virus RNA by PCR is then prescribed. The doctor determines at what stage the disease is in acute or chronic, the entire course of therapeutic treatment will depend on this.

• To clarify the diagnosis of hepatitis, they give a referral to a biochemical blood test. See Biochemical blood test decoding for ALT (alanine aminotransferase), bilirubin.

If the PCR test showed a negative result, then to clarify, you need to retake this analysis again after three months.

In 70% of patients, antibodies are detected after the first symptoms appear. As mentioned, the disease can occur in a latent asymptomatic form.

How is it transmitted from mother to child

Many are concerned about the question of whether the hepatitis C virus is inherited. The virus is not inherited either from the father or from the mother. There is a possibility that hepatitis is transmitted to the child from the mother during pregnancy and during childbirth is not high, according to various statistics does not exceed 5%. When breastfeeding, the virus also does not betray the virus in principle. The virus is not found in a mother's breast milk, but damage to a mother's nipples increases the risk when the virus is passed from mother to child. Most infected children recover on their own after contracting the virus.

It would be nice if a pregnancy is planned, a woman who was previously diagnosed with hepatitis C should undergo an in-depth examination, in particular, determine the amount of viruses in the blood - the so-called viral load. in this condition, pregnancy is contraindicated, and in some cases even dangerous by the growth of complications.

The most common routes of infection:

• transmitted through the use of non-sterile syringes;
• transmitted during tattooing;
• piercing;
• not rarely transmitted during surgery in dental clinics and other medical institutions
• indulge in sexual contact, especially during menstruation;
• it is not uncommon for hepatitis to be transmitted when using someone else's razors, epilators and nail scissors.

Hepatitis C in newborns, measures to prevent mother-to-child transmission

To prevent infection of the child, which is only five percent out of a hundred, feeding should not be allowed if the mother's nipples have cracks and there are abrasions or sores in the baby's mouth.

Be careful not to injure the child and avoid blood-to-blood contact. Women with the hepatitis virus are in separate departments, where trained staff will prevent infection of the baby and take all measures to do so.

It is not necessary to say that such a woman may be a danger to other pregnant women in the maternity ward of the polyclinic.
Diagnosis of the presence of the virus begins in a child after some time after childbirth. Testing for antibodies to the virus and RNA is carried out. It is carried out in 4 stages at the age of one, three, six and a year.

Hepatitis C and HIV infection

Hepatitis C exacerbates the course of HIV infection, exacerbates the disease. Of course, HIV infection also leads to great destructive effects on patients infected with the virus. Often then HIV passes into the stage of AIDS. Treatment of such patients should be carried out under the close supervision of a physician.

Hepatitis C and the impact of the human immunodeficiency virus

HIV-positive people who are being tested for hepatitis C antibodies may get a false negative result, especially if they have low CD4 counts (indicative of a poor immune response to the disease).

In this regard, a PCR test can be used to diagnose the disease in HIV-positive people. The risk of transmitting hepatitis, like HIV, from mother to child increases during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding if the mother is infected.

How to treat hepatitis

How to treat the question is not simple and to a greater extent will depend on the patient himself, his desire to overcome the disease. First you need to contact a specialist hepatologist for qualified medical care, preferably in a specialized medical institution.

In no case do not try to treat the disease yourself, This is a formidable disease and requires close attention from the patient and the doctor. The choice of a course of treatment against hepatitis is always strictly individual and takes into account the gender of the patient, the degree of liver damage, and the genotype of the hepatitis virus. It is also necessary to take into account all the indications and contraindications when prescribing a particular drug.

When the disease is often prescribed, antiviral drugs and drugs aimed at strengthening the patient's immunity, forcing the body to actively fight the virus. A combination of two drugs, ribavirin and interferon-alpha, is used. Doses of drugs are prescribed individually and usually for a long time.

Interferon- is a protein produced naturally by the body as a response to a virus. Actually, because of the production of interferon, you feel unwell. This drug stimulates the immune system to fight infection.

Ribavirin is a drug that inhibits the reproduction of the virus and changes the response of the immune system to the influence of the virus. Ribavirin is used only in combination with interferon, since by itself it does not show an effect on the virus. Ribavirin is used in the form of capsules.

Individual patients (quite rarely) do not tolerate ribavirin, and only in this episode only interferon monotherapy is prescribed. It is important to adhere to a strict diet and take medications in accordance with the recommendations and prescriptions of a doctor, it is important to lead a healthy active lifestyle. It is helpful to drink plenty of fluids, approximately 2 liters of water per day (water can be replaced with juices, but not caffeinated drinks or alcohol).

In the course of treatment, monthly blood tests should be taken to determine the effectiveness of the treatment and the elimination of inflammation of the organ during the treatment of hepatitis C. After the completion of the course of treatment, it is necessary to continue doing tests for several more months, since after stopping the injections of interferon, symptoms of liver disease may reappear. inflammation.

The prevailing opinion that in case of illness it is necessary to clean the blood is unfounded.

Enzyme preparations, which reduce the load on the liver and help in the digestion of food, can help more in the treatment. :

• "Festal",
• "Creon"
• "Mezim_forte" and other drugs.

Everything in the complex will help to defeat the disease, so the treatment of viral infections is always a difficult path.

Hepatitis C folk methods of treatment

Commonly used to treat hepatitis . The active substance contained in this herb not only slows down the process of destruction of the liver tissue, but also helps it to recover. Take 1 tsp. 4-5 times a day, 20 minutes before meals, freshly squeezed plant juice. You can buy capsules and tablets containing thistle. Take them 1 piece 3 times a day.

Use milk thistle enhances the formation and excretion of bile, the secretory and motor functions of the gastrointestinal tract, increases the protective properties of the liver in relation to infection and various kinds of poisoning.

Pour 0.5 l of hot water in an enameled bowl with 30 g of powdered plant seeds, boil in a water bath until the amount of liquid in the pan decreases by 2 times, then strain the broth through gauze folded in 2-3 layers, and take 1 tbsp. every hour for 1-2 months.

Prepare a fresh remedy daily. You can take 1 tsp 4-5 times a day 20 minutes before meals. dry milk thistle seed powder. The best time for the first dose is 3-5 o'clock in the morning (the period of activity of the hepatic organ).

Beneficial effect on the liver dandelion

The plant contains vegetable proteins, vitamins A, C, K and B, calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and iron, has an antitoxic and neutralizing effect on some toxic substances that have entered the body, has a bile and diuretic effect.

You need 3 tbsp. Pour crushed dandelion root in an enamel bowl with two cups of boiling water, bring to a boil, boil for 15 minutes over low heat, strain and drink 1 cup in the morning on an empty stomach 30 minutes before meals and in the evening before going to bed.

Restores liver function blue bitter onion.

Pass through a meat grinder, having previously peeled 1 kg of onions, mix the resulting mass with 700-800 g of sugar and put the mixture in the refrigerator for 1.5 weeks. After that, squeeze and take 1-2 tbsp. 3-4 times a day half an hour before meals.

Hepatitis in treatment, the patient needs to lead an active lifestyle, do exercises, do not sit for hours at the TV or computer. Eat boiled food and baked vegetables. It is better to eat food more often but in small portions. Reduce the maximum load on the gastrointestinal tract. Avoid cakes and pastries. The diet strengthens the liver and prevents progression of malnutrition; daily use of juice mixtures prepared on the basis of carrot juice from freshly squeezed juices is useful. Mix by:

• 180 ml spinach juice;
• 90 ml beetroot,
• 90 ml cucumber
• 300 ml of carrot juice;

How to avoid infection

With hepatitis, jokes are bad, you need to know and follow the basic rules of hygiene and prevention of infection with the disease. The risk of contracting hepatitis C increases in people who use non-sterile syringes (drug addicts), non-disinfected tattoo instruments; raw honey. instruments, direct contact with donor blood (blood transfusion from an infected person to a healthy one).

We hope that from this article you have learned what hepatitis C is, how it is transmitted, all the ways of transmitting the disease and how to protect yourself from infection.

The pathogen virus is more often detected in people aged 20-29 years, but in recent years there has been a tendency towards a gradual "growing up" of the disease.

In the world there are 170 million patients suffering from hepatitis of this form. About 4 million new cases of the disease are recorded annually, while the number of deaths from its complications is more than 350 thousand.

The causative agent of hepatitis C is an RNA-containing HCV virus, which has variability and a tendency to mutate, due to which several of its subspecies can be simultaneously detected in the patient's body.

The HCV virus enters the liver parenchyma, where it begins the process of induction. In this case, liver cells are destroyed, which causes inflammation of the entire organ. Gradually, hepatocytes are replaced by connective tissue, cirrhosis develops, and the liver loses its ability to perform its functions.

Many are interested in the question of whether hepatitis C is transmitted in everyday life during touching or using common things. According to the information obtained after the studies, it can be said with certainty that this is unlikely.

HOW YOU CAN GET INFECTED

There are two main ways of transmitting the pathogen of hepatitis C: transfusion (through the blood and its components) and sexual. The first one is considered the most common.

The only source of infection is a sick person in the active phase of the disease or a carrier of the virus, in which the disease is asymptomatic.

Hepatitis C, like hepatitis B, is transmitted sexually, however, the risk of contracting hepatitis C through sexual contact is much lower. This is due to the reduced concentration of the pathogen in the carrier's blood.

Mechanisms of transmission of infection:

• vertical - from mother to child;
• contact - during sexual intercourse;
• artificial - infection during manipulations associated with a violation of the integrity of the integument.

AT-RISK GROUPS

There are certain groups of people who are at high risk of contracting hepatitis C during treatment or in connection with professional activities and lifestyle.

Infection can occur during:

• people who inject drugs;
• patients whose disease requires permanent hemodialysis;
• persons who have been repeatedly transfused with blood and its components (especially before 1989);
• persons after organ transplantation;
• children born to infected mothers;
• patients of oncological clinics with malignant diseases of the hematopoietic organs;
• medical staff in direct contact with the blood of patients;
• people who do not use barrier contraceptives, who prefer to have several sexual partners;
• sexual partners of persons with hepatitis C;
• carriers of the immunodeficiency virus;
• homosexuals;
• people who regularly visit manicure, piercing, tattoo, beauty parlors for invasive procedures;
• people who use razors, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene products in everyday life with a carrier of hepatitis;
• people with unidentified causes of liver disease.

It is not often possible to determine how hepatitis C was transmitted. In 40-50% of patients, it is not possible to identify the ways of transmission of the pathogen. Such cases are considered sporadic.

WHERE YOU CAN GET INFECTED

Dangerous places in terms of infection with hepatitis C:

• tattoo parlors (for piercing and tattooing);
• places of joint injecting drug use;
• dental office;
• correctional institutions, places of detention;
• medical institutions (very rare in developed countries).

When visiting salons and medical institutions, you need to be sure of the qualifications of the staff, monitor the use of only disposable materials and seek help from specialists licensed for this type of activity.

FEATURES OF INFECTION WITH HEPATITIS C THROUGH THE BLOOD

Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted through the blood. The serum and blood plasma of carriers of the infection is dangerous even a week before the onset of symptoms of the disease and retains the ability to become infected for a long time.

In order for transmission to occur, a sufficient amount of infected blood must enter the bloodstream, so the most common route of transmission of the pathogen is through a needle during an injection. The highest concentration of the pathogen was found in the blood, while in other liquid media it is much lower.

Statistics data:

• blood transfusion - more than 50% of cases;
• injecting drug use - more than 20% of cases;
• hemodialysis (artificial kidney) - more than 10% of cases.

Statistics among drug addicts who inject drugs indicate that 75% of them are infected with hepatitis C.

The source of infection can be non-sterile medical instruments, tattoo and piercing needles contaminated with the patient's blood, razors, nail scissors when shared with an infected person.

The likelihood of contracting hepatitis C from a single injection with a contaminated needle in a medical facility is minimal, since the concentration of viruses in small amounts of infected blood is insufficient. In this case, the size of the needle lumen matters. Thus, small needles, which are used for intramuscular injections, are much less dangerous than cannulas with a wide opening for intravenous infusions.

Until the end of the last century, the main route of transmission of hepatitis C was the introduction of the pathogen with infected blood and its components during transfusion. At the moment, the number of such infections has been significantly reduced due to testing of donated blood for the presence of antibodies. Diagnostics gives errors in the case of examining patients and donors at the initial stage of the disease, when it is difficult to detect markers of the pathogen.

In economically developed countries, where the norms of sterilization of medical instruments are strictly observed, only disposable needles are used and donor blood is checked, the probability of infection with hepatitis C by hematogenous and parenteral methods is minimal.

FEATURES OF VERTICAL TRANSMISSION

The method of transmission of the pathogen from mother to child is called vertical. The hepatitis C virus is transmitted in many ways.

Vertical transmission path:

• during childbirth;
• when breastfeeding;
• when caring for a child.

In this list, the main practical significance is infection with hepatitis C during childbirth, since at the time of the passage of the child through the birth canal, there is a high probability of contact of the child's blood with the mother's blood. Unfortunately, methods that prevent transmission of infection during childbirth have not been developed.

Such cases are recorded in 6% of patients, but with a low viral load in the mother, vertical transmission is observed in extremely rare cases. The risk of infecting a child increases to 15% with the simultaneous diagnosis of hepatitis C and the immunodeficiency virus in the mother.

Cases of infection of the child in the postpartum period are quite rare. The pathogen is found in the breast milk of a nursing woman, however, when it enters the baby's stomach, the virus is broken down by digestive juices and does not pose a threat of infection. For this reason, breastfeeding is not contraindicated for women with hepatitis C.

With the combination of HCV and HIV, the frequency of infection of newborns increases significantly, so it is not recommended for women who are carriers of HIV infection to breastfeed their baby.

FEATURES OF SEXUAL INFECTION

The role of sexual transmission of hepatitis C is small compared to the likelihood of infection with hepatitis B or HIV and is about 5-10% of the total number of cases.

The study of the composition of such liquid media as saliva, seminal fluid and vaginal discharge indicates the presence of the pathogen in them in rare cases and in low titers. For this reason, episodes of sexual transmission are relatively rare.

Factors contributing to infection with hepatitis C during sexual contact:

• violation of the integrity of the inner surface of the genital tract and oral cavity, their bleeding;
• inflammatory diseases of the genital organs;
• sexual intercourse during menstruation;
• concomitant diseases of the urinary and genital areas, HIV infection;
• promiscuity;
• the practice of anal sex;
• traumatic sex in an aggressive form.

The risk of transmission of infection from one spouse to another is less than 1% per year, but with concomitant pathologies, it increases significantly.

All of the above factors are a good reason to use condoms, as well as to be tested annually for hepatitis C markers by both sexual partners.

OTHER MEANS OF TRANSMISSION OF HEPATITIS C

A number of unusual and rare cases of how hepatitis C is transmitted are described. Thus, with regular nasal inhalation of cocaine, traumatization of the nasal mucosa and blood vessels occurs, which are the gateway for the penetration of the virus.

In addition, no one is immune from infection during accidents, fights or injuries associated with increased blood loss. Through open wounds, the blood of the carrier can penetrate and the virus of infection can be transmitted, while its amount may be enough to start the development of the pathology.

RE-INFECTION

Hepatitis C treatment is a long and expensive process. Despite this, many people managed to get rid of a detrimental disease and return to a healthy life. Approximately 15% of patients in whom the disease was detected in the acute stage have a chance for complete recovery.

However, there is a possibility of re-infection, since a person does not develop protective factors for the HCV virus. In addition, the variety of pathogen varieties does not allow the development of a unified tactic of preventive measures and the creation of a vaccine.

HOW YOU CANNOT GET HEPATITIS C

The transmission of the HCV virus is well understood. Experts in the field of infectious diseases say that hepatitis C is transmitted from a person only directly to another person. Intermediate hosts in the form of animals and blood-sucking insects are excluded.

There have been no cases of infection from pets through cuts or bites. Particular attention of researchers was paid to mosquitoes from hot countries, which could become a reservoir of infection.

More than 50 species of mosquitoes have been studied. The following results were obtained: 24 hours after infection of the insects, the pathogen was isolated only in the abdomen of the mosquito; no virus was found in the thoracic part of the insect. These data suggest that the possibility of infection through mosquito bites is excluded.

Hepatitis C cannot be transmitted through the home. From the side of patients suffering from this disease, there is no danger to others, family members, friends and work colleagues.

A certain risk exists when using personal hygiene items that can cut the skin or retain the patient's physiological fluids on their surface. This probability is extremely small, but it must be taken into account.