Who’s at risk?
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Some people are at increased risk for Hepatitis C, including:
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Current injection drug users.
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Past injection drug users, including those who injected only one time or many years ago.
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Recipients of donated blood, blood products, and organs.
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Dialysis patients or persons who spent many years on dialysis for kidney failure.
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People who received body piercing or tattoos done with non-sterile instruments.
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People with known exposures to the Hepatitis C virus,
such as:
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Health care workers injured by needle sticks.
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Recipients of blood or organs from a donor who tested positive for the Hepatitis C virus
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HIV-infected persons
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Children born to mothers infected with the Hepatitis C virus
Less common risks include:
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Having sexual contact with a person who is infected with the Hepatitis C virus.
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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.