Transmission via saliva/tear fluid/mother’s milk | Transmission route or infection of hepatitis C

Transmission via saliva/tear fluid/mother’s milk

Hepatitis C cannot be transmitted via saliva or tear fluid. Contact with these body fluids of an infected person is therefore harmless (unlike contact with blood or sexual contact). Caution is required, however, if there are injuries, for example in the oral mucosa.

Small amounts of blood can get into the saliva through this. An infection is nevertheless very unlikely, since both the uninfected and the infected person must have mucous membrane defects in order for blood contact to take place. Infected mothers can infect their children before or during birth.The risk of transmission is about 4%.

Infection through breast milk has been and is being discussed, but is considered extremely unlikely. So far, several studies have tested breast milk from hepatitis C-infected mothers. The virus could not be detected in any of the samples, so transmission through breast milk is considered impossible.

However, this fact has not been definitively proven, so that no one hundred percent certainty can be given. It is considered certain that hepatitis C cannot be transmitted by saliva or tear fluid. Therefore, a transmission probability of about 0% can be assumed.

The risk of transmission is still being discussed when it comes to breast milk. The possibility of transmission has not yet been definitively ruled out, but so far no study has been able to prove that hepatitis C viruses are present in breast milk. Therefore, according to the current state of knowledge, the risk of transmission via breast milk is almost 0%.

Since transmission of the hepatitis C virus via saliva and tear fluid is not considered possible, no prevention is necessary. Caution should only be exercised when mixing with blood. In case of doubt, it is important to avoid contact with the body fluids mentioned.

The same applies to the transmission of the virus via breast milk. Here too, infection is extremely unlikely. If the mother has a very high viral load, it is nevertheless advised to feed the baby with substitute milk.