Which activity is a known risk factor for hepatitis C transmission?

Which activity is a known risk factor for hepatitis C transmission?

• A. Intravenous drug use
• B. Eating raw fish
• C. Getting a haircut
• D. Using public keyboards

Answer: (A)

Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood, not through food, casual contact, or air. The activity that most reliably introduces infected blood into another person is sharing needles or other equipment used to inject drugs; this direct blood-to-blood transfer makes it a well-established risk factor. When needles are reused or shared, small amounts of blood can move between people, allowing the virus to spread. Eating raw fish, getting a haircut, or using public keyboards do not involve blood exposure and are not known routes of hepatitis C transmission. While infection control in medical or other settings is important, the strongest and most common risk in everyday scenarios is sharing intravenous drug equipment.

Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood, not through food, casual contact, or air. The activity that most reliably introduces infected blood into another person is sharing needles or other equipment used to inject drugs; this direct blood-to-blood transfer makes it a well-established risk factor. When needles are reused or shared, small amounts of blood can move between people, allowing the virus to spread. Eating raw fish, getting a haircut, or using public keyboards do not involve blood exposure and are not known routes of hepatitis C transmission. While infection control in medical or other settings is important, the strongest and most common risk in everyday scenarios is sharing intravenous drug equipment.