Hepatitis Forums
Hepatitis C Prevention, Transmission and Testing => Am I Infected? => Topic started by: FreedomSHG64543 on October 04, 2019, 07:47:27 pm
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I have a question. From what I’ve read in here, it doesn’t really seem like a risk, but I’m sure this won’t be the last time I encounter this situation, as I have five kids, and would rather know than have a momentary case of panic each time. Anyway, my daughter decided to be a helpful friend and help her buddy clean and bandage a wound. This all seems nice, but I know there are risks...she did not...she’s 9 and was just trying to be sweet. She bites her nails/cuticles, so there are typically small open wounds at any given time. But from what I’m reading on here, that type of wound wouldn’t really be enough to infect, even if not healed? My understanding is that the blood would have to be “pushed” into her wound? I’ve also read that a small cut isn’t a direct path to the bloodstream. Plus, my thoughts say that these are kids and much less likely to have a disease like hepatitis. Please teach me what’s correct! Thank you for your time.
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Hep c is spread through blood to blood contact. The most common way to contract hep c is to share IV drug equipment. In the past hep c was transmitted through blood transfusion but that was prior to 1990 when hep c antibody testing was developed and the blood supply was secured. Hep c is not considered by the US CDC to be an STD but in the presence of HIV, for those with multiple sexual partners, or those who engage in rough sexual practices like BDSM there is an increased risk.
I don’t believe anything above would apply to children they are not considered to be a risk group although there are a small number of pediatric cases of hep c usually contracted at birth as there is a 5% chance of vertical transmission (mother to child) during the birth process.
Even in the adult population hep c is not common and becoming more rare every day not that we have new highly effective treatments for hep c. Currently less than 4 % of the US population has hep c and that number is decreasing thanks to the new medicines.
In order to contract hep c blood from an infected person needs to somehow enter the blood stream of an uninfected person this would need to be somewhat invasive like a needle stick. Or somehow through an open wound. An open wound is not a superficial or scabbed over injury. An open wound is fresh wet actively bleeding.
Even if a health care worker should experience an accidental needlestick involving a person with known hepatitis c the odds of transmission are only about 1.8%.
Hepatitis C virus is not spread by sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, or sneezing. It is also not spread through food or water.
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm#C5
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So pretty much don’t worry since only 4% of the adult population has it and potentially 5% of their kids (even though I’m sure they don’t all have kids, I’ll use this number anyway)? Then add that it wasn’t a needlestick or forced into her bloodstream and even then the risk would only be 1.8% IF the child had it?
Just want to make sure I’m reading all the information you gave me right.
Are chewed cuticles that are bleeding considered open wounds that can accept the virus or does it still need to be pushed in somehow?
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I suppose if they had placed their actively bleeding cuticles into a container of hep c infected blood there might be a theoretical risk otherwise the risk is negligible to non existent. Also as far as the 4% of adults and a 5% risk of vertical transmission that is the risk of mother to child more males have hep c than females so that would be less than 2% of the US population of those infected are female. Not all of those women have had children either by choice or not capable of having children so really more likely around 1 percent of the US population could have had children with a 5% risk of contracting hep c. So then from that very small pool of children in the entire US who might have hep c how many live in your community that your child might encounter? And then assuming your child should encounter such a child if the would experience something like an accidental needle stick like maybe they attempted to become blood siblings the old school thing we used to see on old westerns tv shows their risk would be about 1.8% anything less invasive would obviously be lower risk than that.
There have not been any published cases of hep c being transmitted in the manner you have described.
Basically you are worrying about exceedingly low risk kind of things. I suggest if your still concerned you discuss the risk of normal childhood activities with your child’s pediatrician if that helps ease your concerns.
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Thank you so much! Sounds like you wouldn’t worry if it were yourself or your own child, so I will just bring it up next time we are at the doctor if I think about it.
Also, because you’ve piqued my curiosity, why are the small cuts on the cuticles only a negligible risk? I have read several posts on this forum prior to posting and am finding all of this very interesting. However, I wouldn’t have guessed that the cuts wouldn’t really be of importance.
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Are they deep wounds to the blood stream, wet and actively bleeding?
The US CDC does not list this as a risk. Hepatitis c is difficult to contract if it were easily transmitted much more than less than 4% of the US population of the public would have hep c. The primary method of transmission is sharing of IV drug needles when one has hep c and the other does not. Other possibilities are getting a tattoo in an unlicensed facility getting in a knife fight with someone who has hep c has also resulted in transmission of hep c.
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/cfaq.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/hcvfaq.htm
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I guess that’s where I get confused reading this stuff without a medical background. What does it take to get to the bloodstream? I originally thought just a cut. Then I read it has to need stitches. But they do bleed at times.
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The cut needs to be deep enough to reach the blood stream preferably veins or arteries. Remember a cut has blood flowing out which would tend to push out any contaminates