Hepatitis viruses. Resistance of hepatitis A, B and C viruses in the external environment Chronic viral hepatitis C

Among all hepatitis type "C" is considered a fairly serious disease, which in 80% is chronic and complicated by cirrhosis. Replaced by connective tissue, liver cells become the basis for malignancy, which is manifested by hepatocellular carcinoma.

Often, the patient seeks a doctor at a late stage, when it is practically impossible to restore the structure of the liver. Through a thorough diagnosis, the specialist determines the type of pathogen, after which he selects the most effective medicines for this case.

The causative agent belongs to flaviviruses. In comparison with hepatitis B, type "C" is less commonly transmitted through intimacy and vertical transmission.

The main route of spread of pathogens is through the blood. It is carried out by direct contact with both fresh and dried biological material. Long-term preservation in the environment and resistance to adverse conditions are due to the specific properties of the pathogen.

There are the following ways of spreading the infection:

use of a contaminated reusable / disposable syringe by a healthy person after a virus carrier;
tattooing and piercing with non-sterile instruments;
acupuncture;
blood transfusion (blood transfusion). Due to careful screening of the material being handed over, the incidence of infection has decreased significantly compared to the period before 1992;
manicure performed with contaminated instruments;
hemodialysis;
use by healthy people of hygienic means of the virus carrier. Each person should have a personal razor, scissors, toothbrush and towel;
promiscuous sex without condoms. A higher risk of infection is observed with intimacy, when the mucous membrane of the genitals is injured, and blood contact occurs;
the vertical method is the transmission of pathogens from the mother to the baby. During the period of embryo gestation, the probability of infection is minimal, but during childbirth, the risk increases significantly. With natural delivery, when using forceps, the skin of the baby can be damaged, through which it becomes infected.

The risk group for infection includes:

medical workers;
injection drug addicts;
patients who often undergo blood transfusion;
homosexuals;
boarding school staff;
people living in a house with a virus carrier;
HIV-infected;
patients of the hemodialysis department.

How long does hepatitis C live in the environment?

Recently, the frequency of registration of HCV of various genotypes has increased significantly, which alarms doctors. About five years ago, research results were published in America, which indicated a good resistance of the hepatitis C virus in the external environment. The infection can retain its properties in dried blood for up to six weeks.

Employees of the research institute studied the possible ways of spreading the virus both in the laboratory and in hospitals. How long the hepatitis C virus lives in air depends on the ambient temperature. Of course, after a person is infected, the pathogen falls into ideal conditions, but with blood, saliva and other biological fluids, it is periodically released outside, which requires some adaptation from it.

The pathogenic agent retains its infectious properties for a week, provided the temperature is maintained within the range from + 4 to +22 degrees. Any fluctuations outside the specified range are accompanied by inhibition of its activity.

The length of the period during which the patient's biological material can remain infectious depends on how long the hepatitis C virus lives. This is necessary for people who often come into contact with him or live in an apartment with a carrier of the infection. Given the stability of the pathogen in the air, drops of blood from the surface of furniture should be removed with antiseptics, and not just with a napkin dipped in water.

It is important to remember that the pathogen is not afraid of low temperatures. In the course of numerous tests, it was found that drying HCV followed by freezing did not lead to the death of the infection. She can live and maintain her properties for many years. After placing the pathogen in warm conditions, it again becomes dangerous to others.

Chimpanzees were used for the experiments, since they have DNA similar in structure to human. First, the blood sample was dried and divided into three parts:

the first was frozen at a temperature of 70 degrees;
the second one was soaked in distilled water and left in a chamber where optimal conditions were created (+25, humidity 40%). After 4 days, the sample was frozen;
the third - similar to the previous one, only the transfer to an environment with a low temperature was carried out in a week.

After the blood was restored, it was administered to primates, as a result of which their infection was diagnosed. From this it follows that prolonged freezing does not have a detrimental effect on the pathogen. Under room conditions, it loses its activity after 4 days, and after a week it dies.

At what temperature does hepatitis C virus die?

Scientists have found that the hepatitis C virus dies under the influence of disinfectants with a certain concentration of antiseptic substances. They should be known as a reliable way to inactivate HCV. How long the hepatitis C virus lives outside the body depends not only on the living conditions, but also on the methods of dealing with it.

It is possible to eliminate the infection with the help of chloramine, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol-containing solutions (propyl, ethanol 70%). Also, the pathogen is not resistant to hydrochloric, boric and phosphoric acids. A powerful antiseptic is 95% alcohol. It leads to the destruction of proteins by their coagulation. To overcome HCV, it is necessary to act on it with alcohol for two minutes, while preventing the evaporation of the antiseptic vapors.

Sterilization of the room and the objects in it is carried out using ultraviolet radiation. If the garment needs cleaning, it should be laundered as soon as possible. It is important to remember that the death of the pathogen during boiling is observed after a few minutes. If you use hot water (50 degrees), inactivation of the infection occurs in a quarter of an hour. In this regard, it is recommended to boil clothes contaminated with blood for five minutes or machine wash for half an hour at a temperature of 60.

How long do hepatitis C viruses and other forms of the disease live?

Today, seven forms of hepatitis are distinguished, of which the most common are types A, B and C. Below is their resistance in various habitats:

in the environment, namely in water, HCV persists for ten months, and on land - no more than a week. Under the influence of a 60-degree temperature, the pathogen withstands about two hours, however, when boiling, it collapses after five minutes;
HBV, living in a room, does not lose its activity for three months. Frost acts on him much better, since the virus can persist for up to six years. At 60-degree exposure, the pathogen can withstand about 3 hours. Its inactivation is observed with a five-minute autoclaving, as well as after an hour of boiling in a soda solution;
in room conditions, HCV is able to maintain its infectious properties for up to four days, however, it does not withstand a two-minute boil and half an hour exposure to 60-degree temperatures.

What should you do if you come into contact with an infected object?

There are several options for fighting the infection, after which it loses its pathogenic properties and is deactivated:

bleach instantly kills the pathogen. To obtain a solution, it is enough to thoroughly stir the powder in water in a ratio of 1: 100. In addition, in the pharmacy you can buy special antiseptics that have a detrimental effect on the virus;
if the skin is cut with an infected object, immediately squeeze out the blood from the damaged area, carefully treat the affected area with soapy water and wipe with alcohol (70%). Iodine can be used instead of the last antiseptic;
eyes should be rinsed with 1% boric acid if blood with HCV has got into them;
if an infected liquid enters the oral cavity, it is recommended to spit it out and rinse with a solution of potassium permanganate;
if blood with viruses gets on the nasal mucosa, it is necessary to treat it with a solution of protargol.

To make sure that there is no infection, it is required to undergo laboratory diagnostics immediately after contact with contaminated material. Re-examination is prescribed after 4 and 24 weeks.

To avoid infection and to prevent the infection of others, you must follow the precautions and the following recommendations:

it is necessary to use exclusively personal hygiene products. Everyone should have their own nail scissors, towel and razor;
if contaminated blood or saliva gets on household items or clothes, it is necessary to clean them as soon as possible, since the pathogen can remain in an active form for a long time;
injections must be performed with disposable syringes;
use the services of proven beauty salons with a high sanitary and epidemiological level;
do not try on other people's jewelry (earrings, piercings);
use sterile tools for manicure, medical care (surgery), as well as diagnostics (gynecological examination);
you need to give up drugs;
the wound surface on the skin after treatment with an antiseptic must be covered with a plaster;
condoms should not be neglected;
it is desirable to have one sexual partner;

Hepatitis C and HIV are serious diseases with similar routes of infection. Based on statistics, the occurrence of coinfection (the presence of two infections in the body at the same time) is observed in 70% of citizens. The developing immunodeficiency "puts at risk" the already weakened liver. If we analyze each infection separately, then we can highlight some specific features.

Today we will focus on viral hepatitis C, or rather its susceptibility to environmental conditions. At what temperature does the hepatitis virus die, and what preventive measures are there? More about everything.

Hepatitis C: features of the disease

Among all hepatic lesions, hepatitis C is the most common pathology of an infectious origin. In medicine, this disease is called "affectionate killer". And for good reason. Having in most cases a long asymptomatic course, this virus slowly destroys liver cells and causes complications in the form of a tumor or cirrhosis of the organ.

Having penetrated into the body, the virus binds its RNA with the cellular receptors of hepatocytes (liver cells), after which it enters the cell. There he starts the process of copying and reproducing. This period is considered incubation or latent (latent), which can last from several months to several years (on average 1-6 months). If, in addition to infection, HIV or other liver pathologies are also present, this time is significantly reduced.

Before describing how the hepatitis C virus dies, and whether it dies at all, let's consider the possible symptoms:

epigastric pain localized in the right hypochondrium;
weakness, apathy, depressed mood;
lack of appetite, resulting vomiting and nausea;
hepatomegaly (enlarged liver) and sometimes the spleen (hepatosplenomegaly);
yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes (including the sclera of the eyes);
joint pain;
discoloration of stool or urine.

All this indicates an acute stage of the course. With its chronic manifestation, the symptoms may change somewhat.

Infectious agent

The liver-killing virus comes from the flavivirus family. Contains an RNA shell, through which it easily penetrates the liver cells. It is not in vain that this infectious pathogen chooses the liver as a target organ. This is due to the fact that penetrating into hepatocytes, the virus settles well there. Indeed, even with the entire response of the immune system to the appearance of foreign agents in the body, immunity cannot destroy the pathogen without destroying the liver tissue.

How stable is the virus in the external environment

At what temperature can the hepatitis C virus die? The answer to this question is ambiguous. It is known that there has been a lot of research done on this. For laboratory testing, biological fluids from chimpanzees (blood) were used, as well as the animals themselves. The samples taken were infected with the pathogen, and then subjected to vacuum drying for 16 hours. After that, the samples were soaked in a sterile solution, and the samples themselves were divided into several parts, of which:

one part was frozen to -70 ° C;
the other part recreated artificial conditions at room temperature (25 ° C, 40% humidity);
the number of samples stored under room conditions was halved. Where one half was tested for 4 days and the other half was tested for 7 days.

At low temperatures, the virus does not die and can remain active for a sufficient period of time (measured in years). Experiments with animals showed that after freezing, all chimpanzees were infected with the acute stage of hepatitis C.
Samples that were kept at room conditions showed negative results. After the prescribed days, laboratory analysis of the test animals showed the absence of markers of viral hepatitis C.

Heat treatment at high temperature

Summarizing all of the above, it is already possible to draw certain conclusions. But many people may wonder if the pathogen dies when boiling? The fact is that, in comparison with hepatitis B, the virus of the same name disease C is very unstable in the external environment. At room temperature, it can last from 16 to 96 hours. If boiled, the virus can die at a temperature of 100 ° C in 2 minutes, and when washing at 60 ° C - in half an hour.

Alcohol exposure

Alcohol is a powerful antiseptic to prevent possible infection. There are several types of alcohol:

ethanol (60% to 90%);
propyl alcohol (60% to 70%);
isopropyl (70% to 80%).

There are also mixtures of the presented species. The most powerful and concentrated alcohol solution is from 90% to 96%. It is capable of destroying even proteinaceous tissues, since during application they coagulate (coagulation of proteins). Speaking about whether alcohol kills the hepatitis C virus, there is no definite answer.

It is known that the pathogen can maintain its vital activity in an alcohol solution for up to 2 minutes, and during this time, alcohol vapors will simply evaporate. Therefore, talking about 100% security in this case is meaningless.

Iodine

Many people know or have seen how iodized solution is used during surgical interventions. The surgical field is treated with it, and iodine in this case acts as an antiseptic for the possible prevention of infections.

Iodine is not very effective - the virus can continue to be active.

If we talk about protection against hepatitis C, iodine in this situation is not much effective, as well as alcohol - the virus can continue to be vital. However, due to emergency situations, treatment with alcohol or 5% iodine is required.

At what temperature do hepatitis viruses die?

There are a sufficient number of types of hepatitis. The most common are A, B and C. As we have already found out, boiling is an effective method of killing the virus in the external environment. In this case, it is reasonable to find out at what temperature hepatitis A, B, C viruses die.

As you can see, the hepatitis B virus is the most resistant to changing conditions. Noting the C virus, it can be added that it instantly dies when it dries from ultraviolet radiation.

Methods for treating hepatitis

Treatment, treatment and again treatment is the only way to kill the hepatitis A, B and C viruses that have entered the human body. But if in situation A, in principle, not everything is so sad, then with the pathogen of group B and C, the task of doctors is preventive measures and drug therapy aimed at maintaining the functioning of the liver and avoiding the occurrence of relapses.

Name of the disease	Treatment in children	Treatment in adults
Hepatitis A	Most often it occurs precisely in childhood, and therapeutic measures consist of the following complex: the exclusion of active motor games and sports for six months; vitamin therapy; strict bed rest for about 8-10 days, after which short walks are possible; drug treatment (plant-based hepatoprotectors); diet food.	This disease does not pose a serious infectious threat, and many European countries practice home treatment. Basic therapy is based on the following principle: diet; drug treatment (mainly choleretic drugs); taking vitamins; observance of the motor regime; compliance with the drinking regime.
Hepatitis B	The main goal is to stop the activity of the viral pathogen and prevent possible progression of the disease. In this case, the following is prescribed: a strict diet; taking interferons; ; restriction of sports activities; restoration of normal intestinal microflora; vitamins.	In adults, the treatment will be the same.
Hepatitis C	The course of treatment is individual. These are mainly interferons and immunomodulating drugs. In the case of a malignant form, it is possible to use corticosteroid hormones.	With hepatitis C, an adult must adhere to certain rules: observe a sleep and rest regimen; to refuse from bad habits; avoid overwork and emotional stress; adhere to dietary nutrition. From drug therapy used: protease inhibitors; interferons; RNA polymerase inhibitors.

Note: A positive anti-HCV test is not a direct indication that a person is sick. The presence of antibodies to the virus is only an immune response to a meeting with the pathogen, and antibodies cannot infect another person.

Preventive actions

Knowing all about preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of hepatitis C. To this end, heed these recommendations:

The presence of one proven sexual partner is a guarantor of safety (not always, of course, but still). The best protection against the penetration of the virus is contraception, namely condoms.
Bloodborne infection is common. This can be non-sterile medical instruments, reuse of a needle for tattooing and piercing, direct contact of the wound surface with contaminated blood. In such a situation, if a biological fluid with a virus gets on the wound, you need to immediately squeeze out a few drops of blood, use 5% iodine and alcohol. On the mucous eyes - washed with water or boric acid 1%, on the mucous membranes of the mouth - rinse with 70% alcohol, 1% boric acid solution. Further, prophylactic drugs are taken. Here's how to kill the hepatitis virus at this stage. Also, ditch questionable salons, and think carefully before taking such risks.
Do not use personal hygiene items (hard washcloths, combs, toothbrushes, razors, manicure accessories, etc.) of a patient with hepatitis, as he could have damage to the skin and mucous membranes with the release of blood, which contains the virus.

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C virus infection.

And hepatitis C is not a verdict. With the right lifestyle, it is possible to maintain normal living conditions, the main thing is to adhere to the doctor's recommendations.

The best option is to prevent the development of the disease. With all the precautions taken, the chances of excellent health are greatly increased.

Hepatitis C: features of the disease

Having penetrated the body, the virus binds its RNA with the cellular receptors of hepatocytes (liver cells), after which it enters the cell. There he starts the process of copying and reproducing. This period is considered incubation or latent (latent), which can last from several months to several years (on average 1-6 months). If, in addition to infection, HIV or other liver pathologies are also present, this time is significantly reduced.

Before describing how the hepatitis C virus dies, and whether it dies at all, let's consider the possible symptoms:

pain in the epigastrium, localized in the right hypochondrium; weakness, apathy, depressed mood; lack of appetite, resulting vomiting and nausea; hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), and sometimes spleen (hepatosplenomegaly); yellowness of the skin and mucous membranes (including and sclera of the eyes); joint pain; discoloration of feces or urine.

All this indicates an acute stage of the course. With its chronic manifestation, the symptoms may change somewhat.

Infectious agent

How stable is the virus in the external environment

one part was frozen to -70 ° C; the other part was recreated artificial conditions at room temperature (25 ° C, 40% humidity); the number of samples stored under room conditions was divided in half. Where one half was tested for 4 days and the other half was tested for 7 days.

At low temperatures, the virus does not die and can remain active for a sufficient period of time (measured in years). Experiments carried out on animals showed that after freezing, all chimpanzees were infected with acute stage of hepatitis C. Samples that were kept in room conditions showed negative results. After the prescribed days, laboratory analysis of the test animals showed the absence of markers of viral hepatitis C.

Heat treatment at high temperature

Alcohol exposure

Alcohol is a powerful antiseptic to prevent possible infection. There are several types of alcohol:

ethanol (60% to 90%); propyl alcohol (60% to 70%); isopropyl (70% to 80%).

Iodine

Iodine is not very effective - the virus can continue to be active.

At what temperature do hepatitis viruses die?

As you can see, the hepatitis B virus is the most resistant to changing conditions. Noting the C virus, it can be added that it instantly dies when it dries from ultraviolet radiation.

Methods for treating hepatitis

Name of the disease	Treatment in children	Treatment in adults
Hepatitis A	Most often it occurs precisely in childhood, and therapeutic measures consist of the following complex: the exclusion of active motor games and sports for six months; vitamin therapy; strict bed rest for about 8-10 days, after which short walks are possible; drug treatment (plant-based hepatoprotectors); diet food.	This disease does not pose a serious infectious threat, and many European countries practice home treatment. Basic therapy is based on the following principle: diet; drug treatment (mainly choleretic drugs); taking vitamins; observance of the motor regime; compliance with the drinking regime.
Hepatitis B	The main goal is to stop the activity of the viral pathogen and prevent possible progression of the disease. In this case, the following is prescribed: a strict diet; taking interferons; hepatoprotectors; restriction of sports activities; restoration of normal intestinal microflora; vitamins.	In adults, the treatment will be the same.
Hepatitis C	The course of treatment is individual. These are mainly interferons and immunomodulating drugs. In the case of a malignant form, it is possible to use corticosteroid hormones.	With hepatitis C, an adult must adhere to certain rules: observe a sleep and rest regimen; to refuse from bad habits; avoid overwork and emotional stress; adhere to dietary nutrition. From drug therapy used: protease inhibitors; interferons; RNA polymerase inhibitors.

Preventive actions

Knowing all about preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of hepatitis C. To this end, heed these recommendations:

The presence of one proven sexual partner is a guarantor of safety (not always, of course, but still). The best protection against the penetration of the virus is contraception, namely condoms. Infection through the blood is common. This can be non-sterile medical instruments, reuse of a needle for tattooing and piercing, direct contact of the wound surface with contaminated blood. In such a situation, if a biological fluid with a virus gets on the wound, you need to immediately squeeze out a few drops of blood, use 5% iodine and alcohol. On the mucous eyes - washed with water or boric acid 1%, on the mucous membranes of the mouth - rinse with 70% alcohol, boric acid - 1%. Further, prophylactic drugs are taken. Here's how to kill the hepatitis virus at this stage. Also, ditch questionable salons, and think carefully before taking such risks. Personal hygiene should remain personal. No matter what kindred and close relationship you are, but combs, toothbrushes, manicure supplies, cosmetics, etc. should be used only by you.If there is a patient with hepatitis C in the family, you must follow all precautions, and it is best to get vaccinated.

And hepatitis C is not a verdict. With the right lifestyle, it is possible to maintain normal living conditions, the main thing is to adhere to the doctor's recommendations.

The best option is to prevent the development of the disease. With all the precautions taken, the chances of excellent health are greatly increased.

How long the hepatitis virus lives is influenced by various factors. Hepatitis is an anthroponous viral disease. Infection occurs through contact with contaminated blood, during surgery, cosmetic procedures, or through direct contact with other biological fluids. It is believed that the resistance of the hepatitis C virus in the environment is relatively lower, but the risk of infection is not leveled.

The hepatitis virus is not very resistant to environmental factors, but you should not lose your vigilance to protect yourself from infection with it.

The causative agent of hepatitis C

Hepatitis is caused by a virus of the Flaviridae group, and of the genus of hepaciviruses. The HCV microorganism is 80 nm in size and looks like a sphere. It spreads evenly all over the world. But the most striking outbreaks of the disease have been recorded in Latin America. The hepatitis C virus is transmitted in the same way as the B virus. The virus is endowed with genetic variability, which is expressed in mutations. Due to this, one genotype of the virus has 40 subtypes. Due to the large number of subtypes of infection, HCV infections are quite common. Each gene variant has its own specific characteristics and a different risk of complications.

The likelihood of infection

With direct contact with the blood of an infected person, the probability of the risk of infection is 3-10%. Other methods of transmission of the virus, such as touching mucous membranes or getting blood drops, have the same likelihood of infection. Airborne virus infection is excluded. Also, the infection is transmitted:

when visiting tattoo parlors; during joint use of drugs; during the performance of official duties by medical workers; during blood transfusion and other medical procedures, the risk of infection is 4%; during unprotected sexual intercourse, the probability is 3-5%; in cases of using other people's razors, brushes; vertical route of infection - from an infected mother, the virus is transmitted to a child with a risk of up to 5%.

How long can hepatitis live in the external environment?

The resistance of the causative agent of the infection increases in the air at sub-zero temperatures. Compared to the duration of existence in the warm period of the year, the virus will live longer in the cold period. The vital activity of the microorganism at room temperature lasts from 16 hours to 4 days in an open space. When the air temperature is below 0 ° C, the life cycle of the virus lasts more than a year.

At what temperature does it die?

In the external environment, the hepatitis virus can survive for about three days at different temperatures.

Inactivation of the microorganism occurs when boiling for 2 minutes. It also dies when exposed to ultraviolet light. When studying the resistance of the microorganism, scientists conducted a study on chimpanzees. For this, the samples of the pathogen were stored in a vacuum for 16 hours. Then, half of the samples were frozen at -70 ° C, and the other half was stored at a temperature of + 25 ° C. After all the manipulations, the microorganisms were examined and introduced into the chimpanzee organisms. As a result of a scientific experiment, it was concluded that outside the human or animal body, the causative agent of hepatitis remains active in the external environment for up to 80 hours, after which it dies.

How much blood does it take to get infected?

In 90%, infection occurs through contact with the blood of an infected person. But this is only with direct contact, that is, the ingress of contaminated blood on the damaged areas of the skin of a healthy person. If the skin is intact, infection will not occur. At the same time, the concentration of the virus in the blood should be high, since the body of a healthy person fights against negative influences with the help of the immune system.

Diagnostics after exposure to the virus

For diagnostics, a study is used called an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which detects antibodies to the causative agent of infectious diseases. Determine the presence of pathogens and polymerase chain reaction with high accuracy. If the result of blood tests is positive, further diagnostics are prescribed, which includes:

biopsy; liver biochemical tests; ultrasound; coagulogram.

Prevention

Infection with viral hepatitis C can be prevented if the following rules are observed:

Avoid drug use and minimize sexual intercourse with unverified partners. It is advisable to use barrier contraception, but even this measure does not give 100% protection against infection. Check the sterility of medical and cosmetic instruments in the salons before using or bring your own.

Regardless of the depth of the wound on the body, it is recommended to seal the injury with a plaster. Such an activity will significantly reduce the risk of viral hepatitis infection. Persons who have previously had hepatitis C are obliged to refuse all types of donation. Before organ transplants or blood transfusions, it is worth doing additional testing for pathogens.

Several years ago, virologists raised the alarm about the high prevalence of different types of hepatitis C viruses among hospitalized patients. At the same time, the patients were not subjected to procedures with the use of any instruments, they were not transfused with blood, each used individual hygiene items.

Why did the infection occur? Is it possible that the virus got into human organisms from the surfaces of objects, although almost all known methods previously stated that HCV does not live in the external environment for more than 4 days?

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In 2013, US scientists led by Robert Heimer published research results - the viability of viruses in dried drops of blood plasma can persist for up to 6 weeks.

What else does a person need to know about the “affectionate killer” that quietly destroys the liver?

Breaking stereotypes about HCV instability

Specialists of the research group studied all possible ways of contact HCV infection among patients and medical staff in laboratories, as well as medical and preventive institutions.

How long can the hepatitis C virus live when it is in a biological fluid? As a result of the experiments, it turned out that the stability and viability of HCV on the surface of various objects is directly dependent on the air temperature.

Scientists have found out how long the virus lives in the air: from +4 to +22 degrees, it retained the properties of infection for 6 weeks. The excess and decrease in temperature caused a decrease in its activity during the first and second weeks of storage.

In addition, researchers conducted experiments on the degree of influence on the viability of HCV of various alkaline antiseptics and ethanol. As it turned out, the virus dies only with strictly defined concentrations of chemicals.

After the experiments, previously unexplained cases of infection were confirmed: accidental contacts of a person with biological materials of sick people outside the body, on household items, are dangerous to health.

Air-dried saliva, blood, and other liquids, when they enter the bloodstream through wounds on the skin, mucous membrane, become sources of infection in 75%.

At the same time, experiments with vacuum drying and subsequent freezing of hepatitis C viruses indicate that HCV viability is very high in samples of blood products frozen immediately after drying. They retain the properties of infection for many years. Once thawed in air, the virus is as dangerous to humans as it is during initial excretion from the host's body.

How can viruses living in the external environment be killed?

How long does it take to kill HCV pathogens?

Fast destruction guarantees surface treatment with antiseptics:

acids - hydrochloric, phosphoric, boric; chloramine; miramistin; hydrogen peroxide; ethanol 70% (and alcohol-containing liquids).

The concentration of substances was determined by the methods of epidemiological measures.

A reliable method for destroying viruses is disinfection of the premises and the objects located there with ultraviolet radiation.

How much HCV lives on average in drops of biological fluids outside the body of a sick person? Up to 6 weeks, so clothes should be washed as soon as they become dirty. HCV dies at a temperature of + 100 ° C in a few minutes, and above + 50 ° C in half an hour, therefore, it is recommended exclusively to machine wash at a temperature of +60 and above for 30 minutes, or to boil the laundry for five minutes.

If you come into contact with contaminated blood?

How can a virus be killed inside a blood stain on the skin?

HCV instantly dies if you dissolve and use bleach for treatment. Recommended proportion: 1 part powder to 100 parts water. In addition, there are special virucidal disinfectants in pharmacies.
In the case of a wound, scratch with any object, where hepatitis C viruses are possibly present, it is necessary to squeeze blood from the damaged area of the skin, rinse the affected area thoroughly with soapy water. After that, be sure to treat with alcohol (70%) and iodine. If a biological fluid infected with viruses gets into your mouth, you should immediately rinse the mucous membranes with a solution of potassium permanganate or alcohol (70%). If blood gets on the nasal mucous membrane, it must be moistened with 1% Protargol solution. If blood splashes inside the eyes, they are washed with a 1% boric acid solution.

In case of contact with contaminated blood, you should immediately consult a doctor and donate blood for analysis. Usually, the analysis is taken immediately, then after 1 month and after 3 months.

Ways of transmission of HCV pathogens and methods of prevention

Given that the resistance of viruses outside the body is quite high, and infection is most often due to the penetration of pathogens through the blood, the following life situations are recognized as dangerous to health:

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using a reusable syringe or other medical device for injection that may not be sterilized enough;
tattooing or piercing in places that do not meet sanitary standards; acupuncture, donation carried out in violation of sanitary epidemiological rules; the use of strangers, received from strangers, personal items: manicure scissors, razors, toothbrushes, anything that may have a particle of contaminated biological fluid; promiscuous sex without condom protection.

Risk group: homosexuals, people with drug addiction, doctors, people who receive organs that are not tested for the hepatitis C virus during transplantation, or undergo hemodialysis. In addition, a baby can get HCV at birth from an infected mother.

There is no vaccine for this dangerous disease today.

The main modes of transmission are considered parenteral, sexual and vertical (from mother to fetus). Each of the people at risk must be tested for the carrier of the virus. There are job descriptions and other instructions on how many times a year you need to donate blood.

Statistical data

The main danger of the disease is a latent course, so a person may not know that he has been sick for 10, 15, or 20 years. In addition, the risk of the disease is that HCV has a uniquely high genetic variability. Determining how many genotypes of the virus live in the body of an infected patient, as well as which one, is quite difficult today, since the virus mutates quickly.

To detect this, high-precision studies (for example, PCR) are required, since a negative test result for the presence of hepatitis C in the blood does not guarantee 100% exclusion.

But it so happens that the hepatitis C virus lives in the body, but is not detected due to infection in the past, or during the examination of convalescents.

A PCR study at the onset of the disease, while there is still not a sufficient number of viruses in the blood, may also not show the presence of infection, therefore, it is imperative to be tested several times.

How many days after the onset of infection can PCR show that a virus is living in the body? Practice shows that the RNA of the pathogen is detected approximately one or two weeks after contact with a sick person. In this case, coinfection can be detected, that is, simultaneously with HCV, the hepatitis B virus or HIV can live in the body.

Advice from hepatologists

In 2012, there was a breakthrough in the treatment of hepatitis C. New direct-acting antiviral drugs have been developed, which with a 97% probability of completely eliminating the disease. From this point on, hepatitis C is officially considered a completely treatable disease in the medical community. In the Russian Federation and the CIS countries, drugs are represented by the brands sofosbuvir, daclatasvir and ledipasvir. At the moment, a lot of fakes have appeared on the market. Medicines of good quality can only be purchased from companies that have licenses and appropriate documentation.
Go to the official supplier's website >>

Among the total mass of people infected with HCV, 35% are people from 16 to 35 years old. This is due to drug use, promiscuous sexual intercourse.

Among people who received donated blood, tissues and organs before 1992 (at a time when a thorough check for virus carriers was not carried out, and one-time medical instruments were not used), almost 70% are infected.

How many people in the world with undetected HCV is not known for certain, however, doctors believe that today 500 million people multiply the hepatitis C virus, and almost half of them have not identified the mechanism of its transmission, since the course of the disease is often unsystematic, therefore it is impossible to detect the onset of infection.

How can you prevent infection?

What rules are important to follow in order not to get infected, and also not to transmit the disease to other people?

Since viruses are spread through contact with blood, and their transmission through other biological fluids is not excluded, it is important to prevent close contacts with infected people:

do not use general hygiene items; injections should be done only with disposable syringes;
in case of injuries on the road, disinfect other people's harnesses with alcohol; do not try on other people's earrings, refuse to use jewelry, manicure accessories; instruments for tattooing, acupuncture, piercing must be sterile, or new - from a freshly opened package; cover wounds on the skin tightly with a plaster; always use condoms; monitor compliance with sanitary epidemiological rules in medical institutions.

How long can it take before the first symptoms of hepatitis C appear? 10 days, six months, or 10 years, and all this time a person may not be aware that he is a carrier of the virus. HCV does not fly in the air, but it lives for a long time in dried blood stains and other types of biological fluids at temperatures from +4 ° C. Domestic contamination can be prevented by observing the rules of personal hygiene and sanitation.

Hepatitis C viruses began to be systematically studied only since 1989, and thorough examinations of blood and its products (plasma, serum) only since 1992. But even today, the methods of infection have not been studied enough: how much HCV lives outside the body (in air, water) in each individual case is not known for certain.

Therefore, the main defense against illness is prevention: the less close contact with strangers, the lower the health risk. In addition, carefully monitor the sterility of instruments during various cosmetic procedures and medical procedures.

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Yakutina Svetlana

Expert of the VseProPechen.ru project

Hepatitis C is an inflammatory liver disease caused by the hepatotropic virus from the Flaviviridae group, which can reproduce exclusively in the tissues of this organ. The microorganism is about 80 nm in size.

For your own safety, you need to know the ways of infection with the virus and some of the features of its life, especially in the external environment. So how long does hepatitis live outside the body? Let's try to figure it out.

Life span

Many interested people are concerned about how much the hepatitis C virus is able to live outside the human body.

For a long time, it was believed that the hepatitis C virus dies very quickly outside the body. For the research, blood taken from chimpanzee monkeys was used. The drying process lasted sixteen hours. The samples were then diluted with sterile water and half were frozen. Another part of the material was left for storage at a temperature of + 25.

As a result, it became known that the virus does not die when it dries. At a temperature of about +25, he can live and maintain his abilities for up to four days. After additional research, it was found that in some cases, the virus in the external environment can exist for up to six weeks. A decrease or increase in air temperature decreases or increases its activity. In the blood used for transfusion, it can survive for several years.

The most dangerous are dried blood particles (on syringes, gynecological or dental instruments, blades). If you reuse these devices without disinfection, the likelihood of contracting hepatitis C is quite high.

How long does hepatitis C virus live when frozen? It tolerates negative temperatures well, so its life cycle is more than one year. There is no exact data on how much he can actually live when frozen.

In the external environment, the virus lives at a temperature of about 25 degrees for up to 4 days, with freezing - about one year.

Viruses quickly die when treated with chlorine-containing substances or ethyl alcohol. They also die when boiled for two minutes.

In semen, leucorrhoea or saliva, the virus is concentrated in very small quantities. In order to infect another person (with normal immunity) with it, in most cases, this is not enough.

Pathways of infection

You can become infected with hepatitis C in the following situations.

If sanitary standards are violated during medical manipulations, then the risk of contracting the disease is 4%. Basically, infection occurs with injections with non-sterile syringes. The likelihood of contracting an ailment depends on the amount of blood that has entered the body and the concentration of the virus. A special role in this is played by the diameter of the needle, so people who receive injections with a syringe, the volume of which is 2 ml, risk less than those who were injected intravenously using infusion systems. The disease can be obtained during surgical procedures if the instruments are not properly disinfected.
If you have had intercourse without a condom with a carrier of the disease, the risk of contracting hepatitis C reaches 5%. It increases with damage to the mucous membranes as a result of inflammatory processes or sexually transmitted diseases. Couples who have anal sex or have sex during their periods are also more likely to become infected.
The disease can be contracted through organ transplants from a donor or blood transfusions. The material is examined for the presence of a virus, but it is impossible to completely exclude infection in this way. There is a period of serological sleep, when a person has recently become infected, and disease markers have not yet been found.
In 5% of cases, the disease can be transmitted to the fetus from a mother infected with hepatitis.
About 3% of patients get the disease while getting a tattoo or while visiting a nail salon.
If contaminated blood gets into an open wound of a healthy person, infection will occur in almost 85% of cases.
A large percentage of patients are injecting drug users. According to statistics, about 75% of people who use drugs are infected with hepatitis C.
There have been cases of infection in cocaine inhalers. The reason for this is damage to the nasal mucosa, which allows the virus to quickly enter the body.

Hepatitis C cannot be transmitted through dishes and things (toothbrushes, cutting objects are an exception). The virus does not enter the body when kissing, hugging and shaking hands. It is also impossible to get this infection when visiting a bath, sauna, public toilet or swimming in an open water body.

It can occur in two ways: enteral, when the pathogen enters the gastrointestinal tract through the mouth, and parenteral, when the virus enters the bloodstream. Hepatitis A and E viruses enter the human body enterally, and hepatitis B, C, D, G and F viruses enter the parenteral route.

Hepatitis A and E viruses

Infection with viral hepatitis A and E occurs as a result of ingestion of contaminated food or water. The virus can enter the body through dirty hands when a person comes into contact with someone with hepatitis or does not follow the rules of personal hygiene after visiting public places.

A feature of the viruses that cause hepatitis A and E is their high resistance to the environment. At temperatures from +20 to + 24 ° C, the virus remains active for several weeks, and at low temperatures (up to + 5 ° C) it can remain active for several months. In this regard, most often hepatitis of this type is sick in the summer and autumn seasons.

Hepatitis A and E viruses die under the influence of direct ultraviolet rays, after boiling for 5 minutes, as well as treatment with disinfectants. Therefore, the disease can be prevented by drinking boiled water and thermally processed foods, washing hands with soap and water after visiting public places and before eating, and regularly cleaning the living quarters.

Hepatitis B and C viruses

Viral hepatitis B, C, D, G and F enter the body through the blood, that is, at the moment when the blood infected with hepatitis comes into contact with the blood of a healthy person.

Infection can occur naturally or artificially. The natural route of infection is unprotected sexual contact with an infected person, intrauterine infection of the fetus through umbilical cord blood from the mother or during childbirth. Infection can occur when using razors, a toothbrush, or a sponge from a sick person.

Artificial infection occurs when the hepatitis virus enters the body through damaged skin during surgical interventions or examinations, during injections, dental procedures, tattoos, as well as blood transfusion. Drug addicts have a very high risk of contracting viral hepatitis, since they often use non-sterile syringes and needles to inject drugs. The source of infection is patients with acute, chronic or asymptomatic hepatitis B, C, D, G or F, as well as the biological environment of a sick person (saliva, blood, semen, vaginal discharge). One infected drop of blood or biological environment is enough for infection with hepatitis.

The hepatitis B, C, D, G, or F virus is extremely persistent in the environment. It retains its activity for a long time both at high and low temperatures. It is not destroyed by ultraviolet rays and acidic environment. Therefore, there is no clear seasonality of the disease of these types of viral hepatitis. The virus can only be killed with disinfectants, boiling at + 120 ° C for 45 minutes or sterilizing in a hot oven at + 180 ° C for an hour.

To prevent the virus from entering the body, it is necessary to carefully process the diagnostic and surgical instrument, use only sterile syringes for the administration of drugs, do not take drugs, do tattoos only in specialized salons and only with a sterile instrument, and also exclude unprotected sexual contact with questionable partners.

The risk group for hepatitis B, C, D, G and F includes patients who need blood transfusions, blood products, or internal organ transplants. To prevent hepatitis infection in these cases, it is necessary to conduct a thorough examination of donors, test the transfused blood and its preparations for the presence of the virus.

Chronic hepatitis

The disease becomes chronic, most often with hepatitis B, C, D, G and F, as well as when there is a combined infection, for example, with the virus B and D, C and F. Untimely or improper treatment of acute forms of viral hepatitis can also lead to the transition of the disease into a chronic form.

Prevention of viral hepatitis

The causative agents of viral hepatitis are resistant in the environment, so the risk of infection is quite high. But thermal processing of food, adherence to the rules of personal hygiene, thorough cleaning of the living quarters, safe sex and the use of a sterile instrument during diagnostic or medical procedures will prevent the virus from entering the body.

Dr. Lerner suggests personalized. In St. Petersburg, it is possible to call a doctor at home. We send phytopreparations to other cities by mail.

Ask your question to the doctor.