Question about HCV transmission.?

Question

My 74 year old father (who is probably more healthy than I am) was recently diagnosed with HCV. I understand the disease was only first defined in 1994. My father had a galbladder surgery about 45 years ago and another surgery to remove a malignant melanoma about 25 years ago. Other than those two situations, he has had no seriously invasive procedures until a hip replacement just 4 months ago. He has little or no liver function issues at this time (based on blood work and an ultrasound of the liver - no biopsy was performed).
So, could HCV have been transmitted during the surgeries over two decades ago and sat dormant without any signs until recently? Or, what are the other most probably methods of transmission that may have occurred more frequently that may not have required in-hospital procedures / blood transfusion? His doctor explained that heterosexual sex is very low on the list and his wife is not infected.

He is not a veteran.
He does not have mental deficiencies, is very on top of things and always has been.

Answer 1

Was your father ever transfused blood before 1991? Hepatitis C has been around for a long time. It is a blood bourne virus and prior to it's identification and testing it was a common transfusion complication. Blood centers kept specimens from their donors and when a reliable test became available for Hepatitis C (1991) all of these prior donors were tested. Many were positive and blood banks all over the country did their best to find and notify recipients that they received blood from someone that has since been determined to be positive for Hepatitis C. Many of these recipients were not able to be found.
Besides transfusion any exposure to contaminated blood like using dirty needles (IV drug users) or tattoos can cause someone to contract this virus.
Because of the kinds of surgeries your father has had and his age, I think the biggest odds of his contracting this virus may be the hip replacement. Did he receive a donor bone graft? Did he receive transfusions 4 months ago? If he was transfused please contact the hospital blood bank where he was transfused so that they can identify the donors and notify the blood center where the blood came from so they can perform an investigation. There are Hepatitis C tests performed on blood now, but it is possible that an error was made or the test did not work properly.
OR the donor of a bone graft may have been Hepatitis C positive. Grafts are also tested for Hepatitis C, but again an error may have occurred. Please do this to prevent someone else from also getting infected and to determine just how this happened to your father. If you do this and both sources have been ruled out it is possible that you may never know just how he was infected - but you will have peace knowing that you did your best to prevent another person from getting this infection.

Answer 2

Yes! (surgery was an easy way to infect many years ago as the proceedures to disinfect weren't always taken seriously.
Yes and yes to your other questiosn!
Is he a veteran? Chances are that would be the major culprit as HCV is transmitted by mass innoculation with the jetshot gun. Even children acquired HCV in the same manner (i am proof)

HCV never lays dormant. HCV is always active in up to 85% infected. HCV depending on lifestyle has a lot to do with the health of your father too as HCV infected can live long lives, however, the quality of life diminishes.

I was infected at age 8 (if not prior as I had three surgeries when I was 4, 1 and a half and 8 months).
Doc says mass innoculation in grade school. However, I have had many symptoms and had gone undiagnosed for almost three decades. My quality of life has been affected as I deal with short term memory loss all the time.

As for the gallbladder surgery, that was probably one of the main first few set of many symptoms of liver disease. The other main issues are neuropathic disorders, looses train of thought, forgetfullness, brainfog and others.

As for the first case of hcv? Many prior to 1994...they called it NonA-NonB, they did not know what caused it therefor no name until mid 90's.