Although HVC is carried only in the blood, it can be transferred in such a multitude of ways as to make it a highly communicable disease.

Indirect Transmission

HCV in the United States is transferred primarily through the sharing of needles for intravenus drugs. This accounts for 47% of all cases in the United States.

HCV is easily transmitted indirectly. This means that the virus is transferred through an intermediary source. Vehicles, nonliving materials, are easily capable of transferring HCV. This is due to the fact that HCV can live outside the body from 4 hours up to 7 days.

Blood transfusions used to be the main source of infection of HCV. When the AIDS epidemic occured in the early 1980's, health care workers were much more cautious of the blood they received from donors, causing a decline in that particular source of infection. In 1992, blood screening tests became manitory. Since then, HCV infection from blood transfusions has become practically non-existent. The new major source of infection around the world is from contaminated needles. In other countries, healthcare workers use only a few needles to innoculate and vaccinate hundreds of patients. In the US, contaminated needles spread HCV amoung intravenous drug users. 47% of all HCV cases in the United States are a result of drug injections. Click here to see the most common causes of HCV infection.

Blood transfusions used to be the most common cause of HCV infection. Manditory blood screening tests since 1992 have prevented this.

• Intravenous Drugs
• Needles - the most common form of transmission. This form of transmission occurs
• Toothbrushes, Razors and other fomites (contaminated inanimate objects)
• Blood Transfusions
• Hemophiliacs treated with coagulation products made before 1987.
  

Vectors, living organisms as intermediaries, can also transfer HCV. Humans act as mechanical vectors, transferring disease from one person to another. Research shows that 85% of people who come in direct contact with HCV infected blood become infected themselves.

• Doctors, especially surgeons, can become vectors if they cut themselves during an operation on an infected patient
• Healthcare workers who move from patient to patient, transferring HCV due to improper aseptic technique
• Public Safety Workers

Direct Transmission
HCV can be spread directly from one person to another. This can happen through vertical transmission, from a HCV infected mother to a newborn child, or horizontally through sexual intercourse.

Sporadic Transmission
Lastly, HCV can transfer sporatically, or through an unknown source yet to be determined. Ten percent of all acute HCV cases and twenty percent of all chronic HCV cases come from an unknown source or vector. Their transmission is unknown.