Hepatitis C: Who's at risk and how long does the virus survive outside the body?

Dr Suresh Singhvi

Hepatitis C is a contagious liver disease that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver. It results from infection with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is spread primarily through contact with the blood of an infected person.

Who's at risk?

Some people are at increased risk for Hepatitis C, including:

- Current injection drug users

- Past injection drug users, including those who injected only one time or many years ago

- Recipients of donated blood, blood products, and organs

- Hemodialysis patients or persons who spent many years on dialysis for kidney failure

- People who received body piercing or tattoos done with non-sterile instruments

- People with known exposures to the Hepatitis C virus, such as:

- Health care workers injured by needlesticks

- Recipients of blood or organs from a donor who tested positive for the Hepatitis C virus

- HIV-infected persons

- Children born to mothers infected with the Hepatitis C virus

Less common risks include:

- Having sexual contact with a person who is infected with the Hepatitis C virus

- Sharing personal care items, such as razors or toothbrushes, that may have come in contact with the blood of an infected person

Risk of a pregnant woman passing Hepatitis C to her baby

Hepatitis C is rarely passed from a pregnant woman to her baby. About 4 of every 100 infants born to mothers with Hepatitis C become infected with the virus. However, the risk becomes greater if the mother has both HIV infection and Hepatitis C.

How long does the Hepatitis C virus survive outside the body?

The Hepatitis C virus can survive outside the body at room temperature, on environmental surfaces, for at least 16 hours but no longer than 4 days. 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.