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Low risk of sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus
Author(s) -
Hallam N. F.,
Fletcher M. L.,
Read S. J.,
Majid A. M.,
Kurtz J. B.,
Rizza C. R.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.1890400315
Subject(s) - virology , hepatitis c virus , sexual transmission , transmission (telecommunications) , haemophilia , medicine , hepatitis c , virus , flaviviridae , viral disease , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , immunology , pediatrics , microbicide , electrical engineering , engineering
Sexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) was studied between 104 anti‐HCV positive index cases (99 haemophilic men, five women) who have attended the Oxford Haemophilia Centre and 104 (98 female, 6 male) longstanding sexual partners. Ninety‐one percent of the index cases were HCV RNA positive by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 56% were anti‐human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. Three (2.9%) sexual partners (each a female partner of a different HCV RNA positive haemophilic man) were anti‐HCV, and HCV RNA, positive. All had other risk factors for HCV infection. Of 59 partners who were tested for anti‐HIV four (7%) were positive and only one of these was also anti‐HCV positive. There was no association between HIV positivity in the index cases and HCV positivity in their partners. Our results confirm a low risk of sexual transmission of HCV. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.