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Hepatitis C can be prevented from spreading. The most efficient method of transmitting hepatitis C is through injection of contaminated blood, as might happen during IV drug use. But hepatitis C can be transmitted by other means as well. Here are some logical tips to help prevent the transmission of the hepatitis C virus.

There are three main causes associated with hepatitis, including hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, with the latter being the most recently discovered. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 170 million people are believed to be infected with the disease.

Hepatitis C Prevention

Hepatitis C (HCV) is similar to HIV, in the way that it is transmitted through infected blood and infected blood products. In Travel Health, Jones (2004) identifies that hepatitis C may be spread via the following means:

1.mother to baby, during childbirth
2.sexual contact
3.blood transfusions
4.intravenous drug use

The best way to prevent getting infected with hepatitis C is to practice abstinence, especially in high risk locations (western Pacific, Africa), Drug users should use needle exchange programmes and haemophiliacs should bring necessary equipment to ensure blood safety when travelling to poorer countries.

According to Centers for Disease Control, hepatitis C virus is spread by exposure to large quantities of blood, either through the skin or by injection.

1.Birth to an HCV-infected mother
2.Needlestick injuries in healthcare settings
3.Receipt of donated blood, blood products, and organs (once a common means of transmission but now rare in the United States since blood screening became available in 1992)
4.Injection drug use (currently the most common means of HCV transmission in the United States)

HCV can also be spread infrequently through

1.Other healthcare procedures that involve invasive procedures, such as injections (usually recognized in the context of outbreaks)
2.Sharing personal items contaminated with infectious blood, such as razors or toothbrushes (also inefficient vectors of transmission)
3.Sex with an HCV-infected person (an inefficient means of transmission)

Strategies such as the provision of new needles and syringes, and education about safer drug injection procedures, greatly decrease the risk of hepatitis C spreading between injecting drug users.

No vaccine protects against contracting hepatitis C, or helps to treat it. Vaccines are under development and some have shown encouraging results.

Always practice safe sex. People with hepatitis C infection who have multiple sexual partners or are in short-term relationships should use a barrier protection (ie, condoms) to prevent transmission of hepatitis C. Never share objects such as needles, razors, toothbrushes, nail files, and clippers, which can be a potential source of hepatitis C transmission. When getting a manicure, tattoo, or body piercing, make sure sterile instruments are used and that the establishment is licensed. If your job requires you to be exposed to blood in your work, take adequate precautions to prevent exposure to contaminated blood. This includes health care workers, laboratory technicians, dentists, surgeons, nurses, emergency service workers, police officers, firefighters, paramedics, military personnel, or those who live with an infected individual. Adequate precautions include proper disposal of sharps and needles, regular handwashing, and use of gloves during invasive procedures.

If you do have a needlestick injury at your workplace, you should be tested with an ELISA or HCV RNA test right after exposure and 4 to 6 months after the injury to make sure that you have not contracted hepatitis C. At present, hepatitis C prophylaxis after a needlestick exposure is not recommended.Get vaccinated. Having one form of hepatitis does not protect someone from getting other forms. People with hepatitis C who also contract hepatitis A are at high-risk for fulminant hepatitis, which is a deadly and rapidly progressive form of the disease. Though there is currently no vaccine against hepatitis C, medical experts strongly recommend that hepatitis C patients get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B.