Routes of Transmission:

Blood transfusion before 1992. This includes premature babies, children, and also women who had caesarian sections.Women who had caesarian sections 20-30 years ago, signed a "blanket" concent form allowing the doctors to give them blood if they needed it. They were not always told that they were given a pint or two of blood.

Hemodialysis patients (using a kidney machine)
 

Infants born to HCV-infected mothers  Jobs with exposure to blood: Doctors, Nurses, Dentists or Dental Workers, Police, Firemen, Paramedics, etc. Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force Reserves, VA Hospital, Coast Guard personel.  Tattoos, body piercing, and acupuncture  Sharing paraphernalia for inhaling cocaine   IV drug use, even only once Unprotected sex with multiple partners (the CDC considers more than 5 partners a year as being multiple) Many people who are infected with HIV, are also infected with HCV Sharing personal care items: Toothbrushes, nail clippers, razors with someone that is infected with hepatitis C

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Maternal Infant Transmission:

Maternal infant transmission is not common. In most studies, only 5 percent of infants born to infected women become infected. The disease in newborns is usually mild and free of symptoms. The risk of maternal infant spread rises with the amount of virus in the mother's blood. Breast feeding has not been linked to HCV's spread.

Sexual Transmission:

Sexual transmission of hepatitis C between monogamous partners appears to be uncommon. Whether hepatitis C is spread by sexual contact has not been conclusively proven, and studies have been contradictory. Surveys of spouses and monogamous sexual partners of patients with hepatitis C show that less than 5 percent are infected with HCV, and many of these have other risk factors for this infection. For this reason, changes in sexual practices are not recommended for monogamous patients. Testing sexual partners for anti-HCV can help with patient counseling. People with multiple sex partners should be advised to follow safe sex practices, which should protect against hepatitis C as well as hepatitis B, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV.

Sporadic Transmission:

Sporadic transmission, when the source of infection is unknown, occurs in about 10 percent of acute hepatitis C cases and in 30 percent of chronic hepatitis C cases. These cases are also referred to as sporadic or community acquired infections. These infections may have come from exposure to the virus from cuts, wounds, or medical injections or procedures.