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Be warned: Tattoo ink can spread Hepatitis C virus

Doctors raise concerns on the spread of HCV from infected pigments, advise ink fans to ensure new products are used for the process

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Unsterile tattooing can transmit blood-bourne Hepatitis C virus
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There is a renewed concern among doctors over the spread of Hepatitis C infections because of tattooing. Hepatitis C virus spreads through unsafe blood transfusion, unsafe sex, infected needles, or injuries by an infected shaving blade. As a silent virus, it can fully scar the liver in about 20 years if the infection is left untreated.

It was a routine preventive health check-up that revealed that 27-year-old Nidhi* had contracted Hepatitis C virus (HCV). After analysing her medical history, Nidhi’s doctor realised that she contracted the virus when she got a tattoo six years ago.

Nidhi, a BPO employee, said she got the tattoo while she was in college on an impulse, but she had made sure it was a known parlour. “I was shocked to know that I had developed a life-threatening infection.”

Patients detected with Hepatitis C infection require a three-to-six-month anti-viral treatment, which can cost anywhere between Rs 40,000 to Rs 90,000.

Nidhi was put on a three-month anti-viral drug course. “She finished her course in March and has tested negative. But she will need to follow up on her check-ups every three months to ensure that HCV doesn’t relapse,” said Dr Manav Wadhawan, gastroenterologist, Fortis Escorts Liver and Digestive Diseases Institute.

“Contracting HCV through tattooing is rare, but not non-existent. The silent nature of the infection makes it dangerous. Individuals must check that the needles to be used on them are sterilised or disposable,” Dr Geeta Billa, Gastroenterlogist, LH Hiranandani Hospital in Mumbai said. Not just the tattoo needle, but infected ink can also cause infection, she said.

Dr Wadhawan explained, “In some case, needles may be reused without sterilisation. You must ensure that one-time disposable needles are used. If the person before you was a carrier of Hepatitis C virus, the ink in which the needle was dipped for her/him is also infected. Tattooing involves piercing the skin  layer, and the virus finds its way in and into the blood.”

In the last one year, Dr Wadhawan has seen four Hepatitis C cases with a history of tattooing.

A similar case involved a 39-year-old medical insurance executive from Gurgaon, who got himself tattooed from a road side parlour at South Extension, 15 years ago. Years later, symptoms such as constant fatigue and vomiting emerged. The patient required a six-month course to be infection-free.

“Early detection, before liver cirrhosis sets in, means that the cases can be treated with anti-viral drugs,” said health experts.

(*Name changed on request)

Watch out

If you intend to get a tattoo,  ensuring that a disposable needle is used is not enough. Some items that come in contact with blood used for tattooing cannot be sterilised. These include items like gloves, ink caps, ointments, soap bottles, and paper towels. Insist on a fresh ink solution as well.

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