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Causes
Hepatitis
is most often caused by a virus that can be passed on from one person
to another (communicable). Hepatitis A, B, and C are all transmitted
from one person to another. Each of these viruses has a specific
means of transmission. Read on to learn how each type of hepatitis
is spread.
Hepatitis
A: Contaminated Food or Water
A
person may get hepatitis A virus simply by eating food or drinking
water that has been contaminated by infected human excrement. This
is called the "fecal-oral" route of transmission. The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also lists the following risk
factors for contracting or transmitting hepatitis A:
- Household
or sexual contact
- Day
care attendance or employment
- Recent
international travel
- Food
handlers
- Individuals
who have used contaminated needles
Hepatitis
B: Infected Blood
Hepatitis B virus is spread through contact with infected blood.
There are many ways of coming in contact with blood, such as from
cuts, nosebleeds, and even menstrual blood. Even the tiniest amount
of blood on common objects like a toothbrush, razor, or manicure
instrument can carry enough of the virus to infect someone. Infants
born to HBV-infected mothers can contract the virus in up to 90%
of cases. Approximately one-third or more of hepatitis B cases result
from unknown sources.
Some
of the ways in which hepatitis B is spread include:
- Blood
transfusion before 1975
- Hemodialysis
(using kidney machines)
- Jobs
with exposure to blood (especially healthcare workers)
- Unprotected
sex with multiple partners
- Tattoos
and body piercing
- Sharing
straws for inhaling cocaine
- Close
household contact with an infected person
- Sharing
personal care items (razors, nail clippers, etc.)
- Sharing
needles for IV drug use
- People
traveling to countries where hepatitis is common (China, Taiwan,
Hong Kong, and other countries in Southeast Asia)
- From
mother to baby at birth
Hepatitis
C: Blood-to-Blood Contact
Like
hepatitis B, hepatitis C is spread through contact with infected
blood. With hepatitis C, there is risk associated with everyday
events such as bleeding from cuts or nosebleeds, and blood from
menstruation. Household personal effects that come in contact with
the blood of an infected person can become a means of transmitting
the virus (for example, toothbrushes, razors, or manicure instruments).
HCV is only rarely spread from mother to baby at the time of delivery.
The
main ways in which hepatitis C is spread are:
- Blood
transfusion before 1992
- Hemodialysis
(using kidney machines)
- Jobs
with exposure to blood (especially healthcare workers)
- Tattoos
and body piercing
- Sharing
straws for inhaling cocaine
- Sharing
personal care items (nail files, nail clippers)
- Sharing
needles for IV drug use
Unlike
hepatitis B, the risk of contracting hepatitis C through sexual
contact is extremely low, except for people with multiple partners.
About one-third of hepatitis C patients never find out how they
contracted the virus.
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