Virus survival on objects

[Diane12855]

I have read about transmission with shared straws, razors, fingernail clippers, etc. Does anybody remember reading how long the virus remains alive on these objects when exposed to the environment? I have read that the flu virus can live for 7 hours on surfaces and I'm hoping that limit is the same for hcv since I have let my kids use my clippers without ever thinking of a danger.

[nygirl7]

Oh I would definitely not share clippers etc. with them any longer.  There is no reason to take a risk if you don't have to. Not knowing before was earlier.

[nygirl7]

Don't worry Diane I think every single mom in here has done the same exact thing once or twice.  Both of my kids tested negative being a single mom my son has bandaged more of my cuts (I am very clumsy always doing something) shared my toothbrushes for sure etc etc. They are both just fine.

I don't know if they did a PCR or antibody but since it was negative I never asked. I'd made the pact with God as long as they were oK Id treat right away (which didn't matter because I had to it turned out I was already stage 3) so treat I did as hard as I could.

Liver enzyme tests are not a definitive way to tell you have the disease although most of us find out that we do by having that test come back high......it's not always that way so it is a waste of money. Just get the antibody or PCR. Once it is negative you won't have to worry about enzymes anymore :)  

[Diane12855]

My concern about the clippers isn't relieved by your answer, unfortunately. I have accidentally cut too close with them and gotten blood drops. Since I didn't know I had hcv until last month, I never even considered that my fingernail clippers could be dangerous for my kids to use. Do you know if alcohol kills the virus? Maybe, just to be safe, I'll buy them their own clippers.

This brings up another question. I'm thinking about having them tested just to be safe but should I ask their doctor to do an anti-body test instead of a live panel? The reason I ask is because from 2001 till the summer of 2008 I had regular liver panels done because I have an hemangioma, and they all came back fine, then suddenly last month a liver panel came back "not so fine" and now I find out I've been carrying this virus around since the mid 80s. So it appears to me that the liver panel is a big waste of money unless damage is occurring at the time of the test. What do you think?

And thanks for the welcome.

Diane

[Bill1954]

Diane, HCV can survive for 3-4 days on environmental surfaces, under ideal conditions. There is very recent data that suggests it can remain viable for up to 2 months in IV syringes; this was released at the CROI meeting in San Francisco earlier this year:

http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2010_conference/croi/docs/0223_2010_b.html

“SUMMARY: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can survive under certain conditions for prolonged periods in syringes used to inject drugs, thereby increasing the potential for HCV transmission, researchers reported at the 17th Conference on Retroviruses & Opportunistic Infections (CROI 2010) last week in San Francisco. These findings are important for shaping needle exchange policies and practices.”

The important thing to remember is that not only does your blood need to be present, but it requires an entry point to another person’s body to infect them.

Welcome to the discussion group, by the way—

Bill