Causes of Hepatitis C That Require Immediate Attention
A person can become infected with the hepatitis C virus if he/she comes in contact with the blood of an already infected person. Besides blood, other bodily fluids can also contain and transmit the HCV virus, but blood contains the highest potency of it. Interestingly, just a small trace of infected blood can cause you hepatitis C.
It’s thought the virus may be able to survive at room temperature outside the body in patches of dried/clotted blood on surfaces for up to several days to weeks. The primary ways you can become infected with this virus are described below.
Injecting drugs
People who frequently inject drugs, including performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids and illegal recreational drugs, are at a higher risk of becoming infected with HCV virus.
Almost 80-90% of hepatitis C cases across the globe occur in people who have frequent IV drug use in the past. According to recent statistics from studies in the UK and USA, It’s estimated that around half of the people who inject drugs or have injected into them are suffering from this infection.
The hepatitis C virus can be spread by sharing infected needles and associated equipment. It is so contagious that even injecting yourself with one contaminated needle is enough to become infected. Of note, the infection can also spread from one person to another by sharing other types of equipment used to prepare or take drugs – such as straws, spoons, filters, and pipes. In most cases, these things are somehow already contaminated with infected blood.