A:According to the CDC: "Recent studies suggest that HCV may survive on environmental surfaces at room temperature at least 16 hours, but no longer than 4 days." (Frequently Asked Questions About Hepatitis C: How long can HCV live outside the body and transmit infection?) However, Dr. Jay W. Marks has stated: "In blood--inside or out of the body--the virus can live for weeks, months, and even years." (Is it correct that the hepatitis C virus cannot survive for more than two hours outside the human body?)
