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Hepatitis C: Risk of a Haircut
- Norman Gitlin, MD;
- Frederick S. Nolte, MD; and
- Michael Weiss, MD
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TO THE EDITOR:
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has a prevalence of 1.8% in the United States. The mode of acquisition of HCV is unclear in nearly 40% of patients with chronic HCV infection. Various social practices are currently under scrutiny, including sharing razors, snorting cocaine through the same straw another person has used, and sexual practices [1].
We questioned whether a haircut that includes a trim of the sideburns and back of the neck using a straight razor might lacerate the skin and thereby spread hepatitis C. We obtained the fluid used in five different male hairdresser salons to “sterilize” the cutthroat blade after its use to trim the neck hairs and sideburns. The five fluids were negative for HCV RNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) [2]. The fluids were then deliberately “spiked” with 0.1 mL of 1:10 diluted serum that contained HCV. The serum had been obtained from a patient who had chronic HCV infection, as determined by a positive result on PCR testing for HCV RNA. This qualitative test was considered to be more sensitive (it detects >100 viral equivalents/mL) than the HCV branched-DNA quantitative assay (which detects >200 000 viral equivalents/mL). By use of RT-PCR, HCV RNA was detected at 6 and 24 hours and at 7 days.
The antiseptic fluids used to clean the razor did not destroy the viral RNA. We wonder whether the routine male haircut may be a risk factor for HCV infection.
Norman Gitlin, MD
Frederick S. Nolte, MD
Michael Weiss, MD
Emory University School of Medicine; Atlanta, GA 30322
The Editors welcome submissions for possible publication in the Letters section. Authors of letters should:
•Include no more than 300 words of text, three authors, and five references
•Type with double-spacing
•Send three copies of the letter, an authors' form signed by all authors, and a cover letter describing any conflicts of interest related to the contents of the letter.
Letters commenting on an Annals article will be considered if they are received within 6 weeks of the time the article was published. Only some of the letters received can be published. Published letters are edited and may be shortened; tables and figures are included only selectively. Authors will be notified that the letter has been received. If the letter is selected for publication, the author will be notified about 3 weeks before the publication date. Unpublished letters cannot be returned.
Annals welcomes electronically submitted letters.
- Copyright ©2004 by the American College of Physicians
