Relative With Hep C Wants To Visit....

toms44

Hi all, I've started this thread on the "Long term Illness" section of Boards aswell to see what advise I may get from the users of the forum.

I'm posting it here aswell to get some of your comments and thoughts on the predicament I find myself in.

I', a 1st time poster and I'm looking for some advise if possible.

My sister whom we havent seen in many years was an iv drug user many years ago, has gotten clean in recent years but with the legacy of contracting Hep C.

She has never met my wife or kids and there has been no contact for many years up until recently.
She has said that she would like to come visit when my wife has our new baby in April 2015 and see our 1st born who will be nearly 2 years old by then.

I havent replied back to her message, which I only got yesterday but have a fear that after reading some articles on Hep C online.
I read that if a Hep C infected person even had gum disease (bleeding gums) that it could be (albeit very small) a way of transmitting the disease to another person i.e. blood contact.
I've also read that it can be detected in the saliva also.

My fear is that if she comes home, she will obviously want to be kissing and holding my new born and older baby and I have it in my head that if there was any chance no matter how remote that she could pass on this disease to my kids I would tell her that coming to visit would be a bad idea.

I would have no problem telling her this also if it came to it.

Can anyone on here tell me if I'm over reacting, reacting correctly or what would they do in my position ?

Tokyo

I think you are leaning towards the extreme side of being cautious, to be honest. Hep C isn't transmitted through casual contact (I've worked with many people suffering from Hep C overseas over the years), and yes, what you are saying is technically true - it has been detected in saliva and it's possible to pass it on through broken tissue such as bleeding gums. However, the risks are minimal (particularly with saliva), and as a sufferer of Hep C, this is something your sister will be aware of.

Those are my personal experiences with it. But I would strongly suggest that you give your doctor a call tomorrow, explain the situation and ask him if there is anything that you should be concerned about, if for no other reason than to put your mind at ease. And talk to your sister about it too, if she's open to the conversation. Your parental instinct is telling you to be careful, and I appreciate that. However, if you're going to treat your sister like Typhoid Mary for the course of her stay, and you don't think that your opinion will change, perhaps it would be better for all involved if you told her that you'd prefer for her not to come.

Rubberchikken

Thats good advice to speak to a medical professional.
That way you'll know for certain how to deal with this.

It'a great that you're sister has beaten her addiction but she lives with gep c so she is probably conscious of hygiene safety too, so she'll probably be aware herself.

Welcome her to your home. She'll love seeing your little ones.

Shrap

You haven't got back to her yet (and you have time), and we don't know how you two got back in touch or what sort of relationship you've re-established since you have been talking again. Are you in a position to ask her about her Hep C? I think it would be best to be upfront with her and say you have these fears - possibly from not knowing much about it, but that you need to be transparent about her illness and not pretend she hasn't got it, and you need to have an honest discussion about it so as to be able to take the right decisions as a parent.

Yes, speak to a doctor, but also speak to her OP. It's no use finding out the basics from a GP and then not discussing it with your sister before you meet her...

Taltos

Sorry OP

But per the site rules here you are asked specifically not to open the same thread in multiple forums. This is viewed as spamming and regularly results in bans being issued.
Please ensure that not only have you read the T&Cs & FAQs but that you familiarise yourself with the relevant charters of each forum you post in. Some like this are strictly moderated, hence we have no choice but to close this thread.

Thanks
Taltos

Re-opened after PM discussion with OP.

Mickey Dazzler

You are being way over cautious.

On of my parents contracted Hep-C through a blood transfusion in 79'. They were unaware of the fact for nearly 20 years.

My parents raised 4 children in the house during those 20 years without any regard for the illness (as we didn't know). All sorts of little cuts and accidents, sharing tooth brushes, food etc.. kiss and cuddles.

No one else in the house was infected.

You have to literally inject the contaminated blood to become infected.

You have nothing to worry about.

Give your sis a break. Its not easy to beat addiction.

Mr. Loverman

If Hep C was so easy to transmit, we'd all have it. Yet only a small percentage of people in Ireland has it. I can only find stats from 2005 and 2006, and they are as follows:

2006: 1226 cases.
2005: 1434 cases.

Source: https://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/Hepatitis/HepatitisC/HepatitisCreports/HepatitisAnnualReports/File,2666,en.pdf

Furthermore, "In developed countries, it is estimated that 90% of people with chronic hepatitis C are current or former injecting drug users or have received unscreened blood or blood products".

I find it highly unlikely your sister will be transmitting blood to your daughter. Stop worrying and give your sister a chance.

The_Conductor

If you are very worried about it- you could always get a vaccination.
I've been on Imuran for years- so I need to be conscious of things like Hep C (among a long and interesting list of communicable diseases)- and indeed, have been vaccinated against it. The likes of the Tropical Medicine Centre on Grafton Street have a vaccination among those they offer.........

MrCreosote

There is no vaccine developed for Hep C yet.

Mikros

The_Conductor wrote: »

If you are very worried about it- you could always get a vaccination.
I've been on Imuran for years- so I need to be conscious of things like Hep C (among a long and interesting list of communicable diseases)- and indeed, have been vaccinated against it. The likes of the Tropical Medicine Centre on Grafton Street have a vaccination among those they offer.........

Those vaccines are for Hep A and Hep B. As said above there are currently no vaccinations available for the other 3 types of viral hepatitis - C, D and E. Each of the viral types are unrelated, though Hep D can only infect if Hep B is already present.

The_Conductor

Guys- sorry if I confused matters.

LegacyUser

Mikros wrote: »

Those vaccines are for Hep A and Hep B. As said above there are currently no vaccinations available for the other 3 types of viral hepatitis - C, D and E. Each of the viral types are unrelated, though Hep D can only infect if Hep B is already present.

Actually, Hepatitis C is curable. New medications have come on the market.

OP, ask your sister to speak to a medical professional. There are medications that can fully cure people suffering from hep C. So there should be no reason for her not to visit. As others have said Hep C is not readily transmitted.

amdublin

Please talk to your doctor about your concerns.

This is the first thing I found when I googled Hep C but I think best you get medical advise from your GP.

HCV is most commonly transmitted through contact with the blood of an HCV-infected person, primarily through sharing contaminated needles, syringes, or other drug use equipment. Less commonly, it is transmitted through sexual contact with an HCV-infected person, birth to an HCV-infected mother, or needlesticks or other sharp-instrument injuries.

PucaMama

Mikros wrote: »

Those vaccines are for Hep A and Hep B. As said above there are currently no vaccinations available for the other 3 types of viral hepatitis - C, D and E. Each of the viral types are unrelated, though Hep D can only infect if Hep B is already present.

ive had the hep b vaccine (wasnt exposed, healthcare workers have to have it) had to have two courses as it didnt take the first time. dont no if its worked yet. anyway its not something id reccomend unless you realy need it. made me very sick.