Patient's question:
Main symptoms: Now B ultrasound liver function is normal Onset time: Gestational week 36 Test results: Positive for hepatitis C antibodyDoctor's answer:
Hello! The patient's blood has been found to contain antibodies to the hepatitis C virus. These antibodies do not have a neutralizing or eliminating effect on the invading virus, meaning they do not provide protection. Therefore, a positive result for hepatitis C virus antibodies indicates that the patient has either been infected in the past or is currently infected with hepatitis C. Patients with positive hepatitis C antibodies have blood containing the hepatitis C virus and are infectious. In the early stages of hepatitis C infection, patients may experience no discomfort at all. After a of about 2 months, only about one-fourth of the patients may show symptoms such as poor appetite, fatigue, and jaundice; the majority, however, remain asymptomatic. Moreover, it takes about 20 years after infection for liver cirrhosis to develop. Therefore, the most important way to determine if one has been infected is to check for the presence of the virus in the blood. Within a few days after acute infection, viral RNA appears in the serum and persists for several months before antibodies are produced. Thus, testing for viral antigens or viral RNA can help in early diagnosis. However, the reagents currently used are made from viral proteins produced by the hepatitis C virus genome, so they cannot directly detect the virus. Additionally, since the amount of hepatitis C virus in the blood is quite small, it may sometimes be undetectable. This does not mean the virus is no longer present, but rather that the virus's activity at that time is very low. Hepatitis C virus can be transmitted from mother to child, and it has been discovered that high levels of viremia in the mother can facilitate the transmission of the hepatitis C virus to the next generation. Acute hepatitis C virus infection during the later stages of pregnancy can also promote transmission between mother and child. Maternal-to-child transmission of hepatitis C primarily occurs during childbirth, with an intrapartum transmission rate of about 10%. Some reports suggest that normal delivery is more likely to result in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in infants compared to cesarean delivery. As for whether breastfeeding can transmit hepatitis C, there is currently no evidence to support this. The vast majority of studies indicate that the likelihood of hepatitis C virus being present in the milk of hepatitis C-positive mothers is low, and breastfeeding is generally safe. However, if there are cracked or bleeding nipples, breastfeeding should be discontinued. It should be noted that hepatitis virus is present in the saliva of hepatitis patients, so mothers should avoid feeding their children orally and must adhere to proper hygiene and isolation measures. Prevention of hepatitis C can only be achieved through indirect means: ① Minimize blood transfusions. ② Use blood from voluntary donors rather than from professional donors. ③ Screen donors' serum for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hepatitis C antibodies, and hepatitis B core antibodies. ④ Ensure strict sterile procedures during invasive examinations or treatments. ⑤ Implement educational and promotional measures, including drug prohibition, the suppression of prostitution, and the prohibition of intravenous drug use.