Intrafamily transmission of hepatitis C virus: sexual and non-sexual contacts

• Published in: Journal of hepatology Vol. 25; no. 2; pp. 125 - 128
• Main Authors: Diago, Moises, Zapater, Reyes, Tuset, Concepcion, Carbonell, Pascual, Gonzalez, Carmen, Cors, Rafael, Casas, Elena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier B.V 01-08-1996; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - immunology; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Epidemiology; Family Health; Female; Hepacivirus - immunology; Hepatitis Antibodies - analysis; Hepatitis C - transmission; Hepatitis C virus; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Sexual Partners; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Hepatitis C virus; Epidemiology; Human; Expansion factor; Parent; Hepatic disease; Statistical study; Infection; Virus; Immunological investigation; Viral disease; Digestive diseases; Transmission from man to man; Flaviviridae; Public health; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0168-8278; 1600-0641
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-8278(96)80063-8

Background/Methods: As a high number of patients with antibodies to hepatitis C (anti-HCV) do not have a known history of parenteral acquisition, other non-parenteral means of hepatitis C virus transmission must be studied. We investigated 1451 household contacts of 535 anti-HCV positive, human immunodeficiency virus-negative index patients.
Results: Overall, the prevalence of anti-HCV in household contacts was 4.5%. Thirty (7.6%) out of the 394 heterosexual stable partners were anti-HCV positive as compared to 35 (3.3%) out of 1057 non-sexual contacts (
p<0.01). The prevalence of anti-HCV was lowest in children of the index cases (1.8%). In this group, the prevalence of anti-HCV was 3% (
10
330
) when the mother was the index case, as opposed to 0.6% (
2
328
) when the father was the index case (
p<0.05). The prevalence of anti-HCV increased with age, being highest (18.6%) in family contacts older than 60 years.
Conclusions: Transmission of hepatitis C virus may occur among household contacts of anti-HCV positive patients. Sexual contact or the use of non-disposable medical material in the past might explain the higher prevalence of anti-HCV found in sexual partners and in family contacts older than 60 years of age. Anti-HCV screening should be performed in family contacts of anti-HCV positive patients, particularly in those contacts older than 20.