How is Hepatitis C (HCV) primarily transmitted?

Hepatitis C (HCV) is primarily transmitted through blood exposure, which includes sharing needles or other equipment used to inject drugs. This mode of transmission is most common among individuals who use intravenous drugs. Blood-to-blood contact can also occur in other situations, such as through unsafe medical practices, blood transfusions (though this is less common due to rigorous screening), or sharing personal items like razors that may have come into contact with infected blood.

While sexual contact can potentially transmit the virus, it is not the primary mode of transmission, making that option less accurate. Similarly, sharing food does not pose a risk for HCV transmission as the virus does not spread through casual contact or contaminated surfaces. Air contamination is not a route for HCV transmission either, as the virus does not survive outside the body in an aerosolized form. Therefore, blood exposure through sharing needles remains the most significant and recognized method of HCV transmission.