Risk Factors Connected with Hepatitis C Infections in Finland

Risk factors of 160 hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV) positive patients, found in our serological routine, were analyzed. 89% of the patients had been exposed to blood (64% had a history of i.v. drug abuse, 24% had used whole blood or blood products, 0.6% had a profession connected with blood exposure). 8.1% of the patients had lived or travelled in Southern countries, notably in Africa and in the Eastern Mediterranean, 0.6% had an anti-HCV positive sex partner. 2.5% of the patients had no known risk factors.