What are the odds...

[Nokingsallhands]

Hello. Recently I was in the hospital. I had to use the bathroom. It was only one toilet, no stalls. The person before me hadn't flushed the toilet. The urine was very dark in color. Like amber. Either the person was very dehydrated or they had something going on.

I obviously flushed the toilet before using and I squatted to avoid sitting. As the toilet flushed after using it, some of the toilet water got on my index finger. Im thinking maybe the toilet water could have had left over stuff from prior use. I have some tears around my fingers because I pick at them. The small one on my index finger wasn't bleeding, but I don't remember if it was completely healed. Now I'm convinced I could have contracted hep c from that because I read even microscopic blood can get into the smallest of tears in the skin.

And this person had to have had something wrong with them based on their urine color. I'm just wondering the likelihood of this? That was around 2 weeks ago. Just looking for insight because I'm worried I could have this.

Thanks in advance

[Lynn K]

For a hepatitis c infection hep c infected blood must enter the blood stream of an uninfected person generally through an open wet fresh bleeding injury. There is no risk of a blood borne infection from fresh toilet water or from a very weak watered down small amount of urine. This is not considered to be a method of transmission by the CDC.

Hep c is not easily contracted and only about 4% or less of the US population has hep c. Most these days are now able to treat and cure their hep c infections so the percentages of people infected with hep c are decreasing every day. The most efficient method to contract hep c is through a blood transfusion but this is not likely to occur since hep c antibody testing was approved in 1990 and the blood supply was secured. The best method of transmission is sharing IV drug needles with someone known to be infected with hep c. Odds of transmission at birth to a mother with hep c are about 5%. Even in the case of a health care worker who should experience an accidental needlestick involving a patient with known hepatitis C their odds of contracting hepatitis C are only about 1.8%.

Many people are dehydrated not drinking enough fluids so statistically speaking that is the more likely scenario.

You situation seems exceedingly unlikely to have transmitted anything.

I kind of have the feeling you maybe some anxiety issues so you might consider discussing your concerns of contracting illnesses with a counselor and if you do have anxiety maybe getting treated.