AUTHOR=Pfaender Stephanie , Helfritz Fabian A. , Siddharta Anindya , Todt Daniel , Behrendt Patrick , Heyden Julia , Riebesehl Nina , Willmann Wiebke , Steinmann Joerg , Münch Jan , Ciesek Sandra , Steinmann Eike 

TITLE=Environmental Stability and Infectivity of Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in Different Human Body Fluids

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00504

DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2018.00504

ISSN=1664-302X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic, blood-borne virus, but in up to one-third of infections of the transmission route remained unidentified. Viral genome copies of HCV have been identified in several body fluids, however, non-parental transmission upon exposure to contaminated body fluids seems to be rare. Several body fluids, e.g., tears and saliva, are renowned for their antimicrobial and antiviral properties, nevertheless, HCV stability has never been systematically analyzed in those fluids.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We used state of the art infectious HCV cell culture techniques to investigate the stability of HCV in different body fluids to estimate the potential risk of transmission via patient body fluid material. In addition, we mimicked a potential contamination of HCV in tear fluid and analyzed which impact commercially available contact lens solutions might have in such a scenario.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> We could demonstrate that HCV remains infectious over several days in body fluids like tears, saliva, semen, and cerebrospinal fluid. Only hydrogen-peroxide contact lens solutions were able to efficiently inactivate HCV in a suspension test.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> These results indicate that HCV, once it is present in various body fluids of infected patients, remains infective and could potentially contribute to transmission upon direct contact.</p>