HCV Transmission

[WonderingMan1000]

I am 29 year old Canadian male suffering from HCV transmission anxiety. To get infected by HCV, infected blood has to contact my bloodstream. Does that mean the blood has to hit a vein or artery? Or does the infected blood just have to somehow puncture my flesh sufficiently that it draws blood. How deep does the puncture have to be? Are skin contact with HCV blood as well as superficial scratches therefore considered negligible risk?

For any bloodstream exposure to HCV blood, is it very unlikely to acquire infection? Is it similar to the rate of 1.8% for a needle-stick exposure to HCV blood?

Is it considered zero risk or theoretical risk only ( i.e. no documented cases ) when getting punctured by a random surface, even one with blood? This is due to the low rate of HCV in Canada, roughly 2%, that HCV dies in the air by 4 days, and acquisition itself of infection by tainted blood is remote.

I know water kills HIV but does soap and water kill HCV? Or does it just wash it away. I wear contacts, is touching my eyes with potentially HCV infected hands a risk? How much should I wash my hands? When showering at the gym, I sometimes get splashed in the eye from water from another shower user, is that a risk?

Is it considered zero risk or theoretical risk only ( i.e. no documented cases ) when an existing cut or wound is exposed to HCV blood? How about for a heavy bleed? Does the fact that the body starts healing itself near instantly, sealing the wounds, even when exposed to water protect the body from HCV blood? Also don't we bleed outwards, protecting our wounds from outside fluid?

For example, while diving in Australia, I was bled on by a male diving instructor while getting geared up. This was after I was in the water already, so wounds may have been opened up by the water. The instructor's wound wasn't a gushing wound and I don't think I had any major gushing cuts. I did have some coral cuts and I have acne and body acne which produces open sores. However, during diving and showering, I didn't notice or feel any major cuts. I'm reasonably sure I didn't get any blood in my eyes or mouth. Am I in any danger?

Another similar situation would be touching HCV tainted blood and washing the blood into any existing cuts.

moahunter on this board mentioned he contracted HCV when fighting off a knife wielding assailant. They bled quite heavily into each other though. I am surprised there are not more warnings about sparring in martial arts or wrestling, which exposes many people to blood on blood contact.

How risky is household contact? For example, sharing razors, nail clippers, tooth brushes or scissors and electric razors for haircuts? The Doctor on Medhelp ( http://www.medhelp.org/posts/STDs/hep-c-risk-with-one-time-razor-cut/show/1025959 ) implies there is no risk and the CDC also downplays the risk. Regardless, I separated my personal care items but what about secondary contact. For example, I left my razor in the bathtub, what if someone splashes the razor with HCV blood or the razor touches the surface with HCV blood. Also, there is no warning about sharing toothpaste. The bristles of the toothbrush touch the toothpaste nozzle, won't that contact be a risk? How about rinsing a toothbrushes with the faucet, won't that contaminate the faucet with possible HCV blood? Sharing utensils are considered no risk, but can't people easily gouge themselves with a fork or knife?

At the Dentist office, I am confident they sterilize all the equipment. But what if they touch some HCV tainted random surface, and then contaminate an instrument, and that instrument breaks my flesh?

Is occult HCV something I should worry about? Can someone explain this issue in some reasonable depth?

Is a 3 months post exposure antibody test accurate enough and after 6 months a guarantee?

What's the reasonable amount of precautions I should take? Should I just resign myself to getting tested once a year? Should I just not worry about it since I'm not a IV drug user?

[IAmTheWalrus]

The test is a lot cheaper than seeing the doctors, and only one very small ***** with a needle.

[R Glass]

"I will get tested and see a therapist"
Good choice, let us know the results of your test. Happy Holidays

[WonderingMan1000]

I've spoken to three Doctors. Two seemed unconcerned, who seemed both fairly knowledgeable. The third seemed a bit more concerned but more used to dealing with commons colds and fevers.

I will get tested and see a therapist. Are the test accurate by 6 months and I have no worry about occult HCV that won't get detected by an anti-body test? Or does it need to be 12 months like for occupational incidents.

I'm fixated on HCV because the virus survives so well in the air. I know HIV dies really quickly when exposed to air and you need a lot of virus to get infected. While HCV survives so well in air exposure. That's why I'm so pumped full of anxiety. I know it still takes a lot of HCV virus to get infected.

I want to ask the HCV Doctor on Medhelp, to crush my anxiety, but he doesn't seem to be active unfortunately.

[GSDgirl]

get tested and go to a therapist

[willbb]

Maybe should consider getting tested

[mikesimon]

Has anyone suggested that you consider getting tested?

Mike

[James10500]

You've got to get tested.  It's a simple as that.  Your trying to self test via an Internet forum, that's not going to work.  Don't be afraid to get tested.

Good luck it sounds like you unfortunately have bigger problems than Hep C, or HIV. Dengue flu can be spread by bugs in tropical areas why not worry about that.  Why the fixation on Hep C ?  

I understand the ignorance out there.  I informed someone at work yesterday that Hep C was not an STD.  No matter what I said or what study I referenced the guy looked at me like I had no idea what I was talking about.  His arguments were filled with a lot of " ya buts" and no fact or ability to listen to fact.  It's sad when people base there decisions about a deadly disease on emotion rather than fact.  

[nygirl7]

And we are not going to fuel your phobia any longer - get tested and stop obsessing. What will you do ifyou find when you have a real disease and it is more immediately life threatening then HCV?

[Trinity4]

You're fueling your phobia.  We are not doctors.  Get tested.

[WonderingMan1000]

Thanks, I truly appreciate everyone's support and concern. It definitely shows the depths of my anxiety when individuals who are either infected with HCV or who's loved ones are, think my concerns are purely anxiety driven.

I am a curious why forum members are stroking this individual's concern about HCV ( http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Can-HCV-transmitted-during-fight/show/1407254 ) when it appears his risk are about the same as mine or less than mine.

Wasn't my situation riskier when I got bled on randomly with open cuts and wounds on my body? I was only wearing swimming trunks also as I was getting ready for a dive into the water at the back of the boat. I did not get gushed on by blood though.

The fighter just split his hand on a "safe" area, his opponents bloodless teeth.

I am not trying to be snarky or sarcastic, it's just my anxiety over inconsistencies of people's responses to similar HCV concerns.

I've been trying to do some cognitive behavior therapy on my own to see if that helps. I'm trying to hold onto hope my anxiety breaks on its own as it has previously. Then again, it's never been this bad.

[nygirl7]

I'm more  worried that those little arsenic eating bacterias in California are aliens meant to repopulate our world into something aliens can settle into (you know like they have to change the atmosphere so they can breathe it).  Thats about the chance you have HCV. Go talk to a shrink instead - antidepressents and other meds work wonders. It will give you something to think about aside from this (the alien bacterias as I like to think them ;)

[Diane12855]

Trinity is right. You need to remember that what you are dealing with sounds psychological but there is also the possibility that something is wrong physically that can mess up your thought processes. You appear to be way over the edge, and with the small amount of sleep that you are getting, things can only get worse.

I agree that you should take a copy of your original post and let the doctor read it. That should give him some insight as to how bad things are getting for you.

Answers to your posted questions won't make you feel any better... answers to the cause of your phobias will... eventually.

Diane

[Trinity4]

"Before my anxiety hit, I used to scoff in mild disbelief at hypochondriacs, but now I can't shake that devil.:

'I'm going to give it one more weekend, and probably seek some help."
________________________________________________________________________

Your anxiety is called phobic, you are suffering from irrational fears and that type of psychosis isn't going to go away in one more weekend.  You should dismiss the expectation that your phobia will disappear in a week and seek professional help immediately.

Trinity

[GoofyDad]

You're more likely to get lucky with a Victoria's Secret model when you show up to unblock her toilet.

[fretboard]

Trust me, I don't want to be this way. Please keep piling on information to help break this anxiety.  
________________________________________________________________________
If you don't want to be that way then maybe counseling and meds can help you.  Most ppl aren't normally worried about being exposed to HepC or any other illness because most know that it is a blood borne illness and basically that means you practically have to shoot dope with someone who is infected in order to get it.  Blood to blood contact, that means you have to have an infected persons liquid blood go into your bloodstream.  Nothing else, not nail clippers, toothbrushes, fighting, martial arts, even touching someone else's blood won't get you infected.  
Just keep it really simple, if you don't get an infected person's blood into your bloodstream, then you won't get infected.  If you're still going on and on about it in your head and you can't turn it off then you need professional help.  good luck  

[grizwald]

There's not much discussion of religion on this forum but if I were as worried as you say you are and willing to believe as many baseless, unproven possibilities as you have mentioned,  I believe I would consider a faith based religion, and ask a power greater than myself to protect me from all of it.  Spend 1/2 as much time in prayer as you have spent here and see if it helps.
  I hope you find peace.  You seem troubled

Take care,

Griz

[springroll]

Do yourself a favor.  Stop reading internet forums about HCV.  You will never get concrete answers to your questions and the uncertainty will be torture for you.  If you think you have been exposed to HCV, get a test.  

Good luck to you.  I hope you can put this anxiety behind you - its terrible to live in fear.

[IAmTheWalrus]

There is no certainty for a purely analytical perspective. I think I tend to feel a little like you do and over-think these things. Forget about all the hypothetical, esoteric mechanisms that you can imagine might transmit the disease, and cannot prove to yourself that it is not possible to occur. Remember that it is always difficult or even impossible to prove a negative. I think this is why some official sites equivocate on saying that you can't get the disease these ways and explains the disparity in stands.

I think you have to go with the consensus and the more pedestrian analyses. I mean, if a wife of 30+ years, having children with, and sharing an intimate life with someone with HCV does not contract it, or even test positive for antibodies; what chance is there that you will inadvertently transmit this to your family? That is right, nada.

[WonderingMan1000]

It damages me too how there are always slightly differing opinions. Each Doctor, and reputable website like the CDC and The Body and Medhelp has slightly differing opinions. Sometimes highlighting certain risk and downplaying the same risk. That really kills my need for certainty. I cherry picked that message from Dr. HHH about household transmission. There are other messages where he was more gray about the risk of household transmission.

Before my anxiety hit, I used to scoff in mild disbelief at hypochondriacs, but now I can't shake that devil.

[WonderingMan1000]

I am trying to break this anxiety, but it has its vice grip on me. The irony is I had a bit of the anxiety last year, not nearly as bad, but it "broke" and I moved on with my life normally. Unfortunately, it has re-triggered and I can't shake it. Trust me, I would shake it if I could. I always have this strange need for certainty and catastrophic thought process and my greatest fear is somehow exposing my girlfriend or family to some disease.

Surfing this forum didn't help either: with the mentions of some mysterious unknown method of infection, the hidden occult HCV that's undetectable, and the speculation of various members on how they received their infection. From getting a shave in Vietnam or getting bled on during a knife fight.

Trust me, I don't want to be this way. Please keep piling on information to help break this anxiety. Does the Doctor respond on the Expert forum anymore?

I'm going to give it one more weekend, and probably seek some help. I used to sleep 8 hours a night, now I sleep 2 hours every two nights...

[IAmTheWalrus]

I am just guessing, but if HCV spread in the ways you are so worried about, wouldn't it have spread throughout our society? And how is it that married couples that have sex for decades, have children, share personal utensils like razors and toothbrushes, etc. do not co-transmit? I think the Dr. covered this and is correct. In the absence of specific, direct answers to such detailed questions you have to use a little common sense.

But, if you are really worried about these risks, there are many other communicable diseases that you might to get tested for once a year that are much more easily transmitted than HCV:

•Campylobacteriosis •Chancroid •Chickenpox •Chlamydia •Cholera •Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA) •Coxsackie Virus •Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) •Cryptosporidiosis •Cyclospora Infection •Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

And those are just the ones starting in C! It's a dirty world. ;-)

[Bill1954]

Life involves risk; some minimal, other times more substantial. If you have a concern, share it with your doctor; he/she is trained to listen and determine whether further medical action is required.

You’re obvious fears sound overwhelming; I would print out your list of questions and present them to the doctor; he/she might recommend professional help for you, so you don’t worry so much all the time.

Good luck—

--Bill

[eureka254]

"Should I just resign myself to getting tested once a year?"
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Almost sounds like your anxious to GET hcv, not avoid it.  

"Or does the infected blood just have to somehow puncture my flesh sufficiently that it draws blood. How deep does the puncture have to be? "
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You already read an expert physician quoting near nil risk for all of the situations you posed above.  But, since you consider it all theoretical, you can always put that theory to the test and do serial punctures at different depths and test at regular intervals to decide what is sufficiently deep to transmit infection.  

"Should I just not worry about it since I'm not a IV drug user? "
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That is the only real and valid question you posted.  Almost answers itself.