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Accidentally Pricked With Pin At A Shop, No Blood Drawn. If Its Been Used By One With Hep C Will I Contract It?
Question: Hi, I recently pricked myself with a used pin at the local tailors. The pin pierced my skin but didn't draw any blood. If the tailor has Hepatitis C is it likely I would have caught the disease from her?
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
What you have had is called as “needle stick injury”by doctors. Since the needle pricked the skin but there was no blood, chances of hepatitis C transmission are very less. The Hepatitis C virus can survive outside the body at room temperature, on environmental surfaces, for at least 16 hours but no longer than 4 days.
If your tailor was having hepatitis C and he had pricked his skin with the needle anytime during the last 4 days and there was oozing of blood then there are chances of hepatitis C transmission but still they are very less because you did not have any bleeding. However confirmation can only be done after getting tested for hepatitis C.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Thanks for posting your query.
What you have had is called as “needle stick injury”by doctors. Since the needle pricked the skin but there was no blood, chances of hepatitis C transmission are very less. The Hepatitis C virus can survive outside the body at room temperature, on environmental surfaces, for at least 16 hours but no longer than 4 days.
If your tailor was having hepatitis C and he had pricked his skin with the needle anytime during the last 4 days and there was oozing of blood then there are chances of hepatitis C transmission but still they are very less because you did not have any bleeding. However confirmation can only be done after getting tested for hepatitis C.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello Doctor XXXXXXX
Thank you for your response. Please can you advise when it is advisable to have the test, ie how long after possible exposure would it show up in a blood test?
Many thanks.
Thank you for your response. Please can you advise when it is advisable to have the test, ie how long after possible exposure would it show up in a blood test?
Many thanks.
Hello,
Thanks for writing back.
Because many people don't have symptoms, it's common for people not get investigated. Chances of hepatitis C transmission in your case are very less and to completely rule it out you can get done the Anti HCV test. This test is a blood test that looks for the genetic material (RNA) of the hepatitis C virus or for the proteins (antibodies), the body makes against HCV.
Antibodies to the Hepatitic C virus can take from 12 weeks - to 6 months to develop after the initial exposure. So you can get this test done after 3 months as Persons with early infection may not as yet have developed antibody levels high enough that the test can measure and it can come as false negative.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
Thanks for writing back.
Because many people don't have symptoms, it's common for people not get investigated. Chances of hepatitis C transmission in your case are very less and to completely rule it out you can get done the Anti HCV test. This test is a blood test that looks for the genetic material (RNA) of the hepatitis C virus or for the proteins (antibodies), the body makes against HCV.
Antibodies to the Hepatitic C virus can take from 12 weeks - to 6 months to develop after the initial exposure. So you can get this test done after 3 months as Persons with early infection may not as yet have developed antibody levels high enough that the test can measure and it can come as false negative.
Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries.
Wishing you good health.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Answered by
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