Doctor Explains How to Protect Yourself After Hepatitis C Cluster at Taiwan Clinic

An acute hepatitis C cluster at Antai Songhe Clinic in Banqiao District, New Taipei City, has caused public alarm. But physician Huang Xuan says ordinary social contact is not the danger many people fear.

Hepatitis C mainly spreads when infected blood enters another person’s bloodstream or an open wound. Sharing a hot pot meal, utensils, a handshake or a hug does not normally transmit the virus. Neither does a high-five, a sneeze or saliva. There is currently no vaccine for hepatitis C.

The risks lie in activities that may involve blood. Shared toothbrushes, razors and nail clippers can cause tiny cuts to the skin or mucous membranes. If contaminated blood is present, those items can create a route for infection. Huang also advised people seeking tattoos, piercings or acupuncture to use legal facilities with good hygiene standards and to confirm that needles are properly sterilized or newly opened disposable equipment.

He urged patients not to request injections or intravenous drips unnecessarily when oral medicine is available. If an injection is required, patients should watch the nurse open a new needle in front of them. That check cannot reveal whether a medicine vial has been contaminated, however, so strict disinfection by the medical facility remains essential.

Most people have no obvious symptoms in the early stages of hepatitis C. Possible symptoms include fatigue, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, discomfort in the upper right abdomen, dark urine and yellowing of the skin or eyes, but none can confirm infection. Huang recommended a baseline anti-HCV test soon after a suspected exposure, HCV RNA testing three to six weeks later, and another anti-HCV test four to six months afterward. A positive antibody result should be followed by HCV RNA testing to determine whether the virus remains present.

“

Eating together is not something to fear; do not share tools that may come into contact with blood. Feeling well does not mean there is no infection, and blood testing is the most accurate.