HYDERABAD, Jan 23: Sixty to 80 per cent of hepatitis-C patients are cured after proper treatment in the world and the treatment is possible if the disease is detected in its early stages.

This was said by Isra University assistant professor (Dr) Sadik Memon while speaking at a seminar organized by the university hospital and Getz Pharma at the university welfare clinic here on Friday.

He said that monthly expenses of the treatment in Pakistan were Rs8,000 to Rs11,000 and added that 35,000 acute cases of hepatitis-C cases were detected each year in the country.

He said that the virus could be transmitted by contaminated blood, syringe, surgical instrument, shaving razor and tooth brush as well as sexual relation with a hepatitis-C patient.

Dr Saqik said that the virus could also be transmitted during pregnancy and delivery of a baby and added that the infection was seen in two to five per cent of newborns of infected mothers.

He advised patients on dialysis, persons born in hyper- endemic areas, injected drug users, homosexuals, pregnant women, families of the hepatitis-C patients and those who had received unscreened blood to get their blood screened for the virus.

However, he said, there was no evidence that breast feeding, kissing, hugging, sneezing, water, sharing utensils or glasses caused HCV transmission.The blood screening of 100 people for hepatitis-C was conducted free of charge at the end of the seminar.