How is hepatitis C infection diagnosed?
Hepatitis C infection is diagnosed by using a standard antibody blood test. The antibody indicates an exposure to the virus at some time. Thus, the hepatitis C antibody is found in the blood during acute hepatitis C, after recovery from the acute hepatitis, and during chronic hepatitis C. Individuals with a positive antibody test can then be tested for evidence of virus in the blood by a test that detects the genetic material of the virus (called the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR). The PCR test rarely is needed to diagnose acute hepatitis C but sometimes can be helpful to confirm the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C. HIV/AIDS The Current Status in Nigeria Current projections show an increase in the number of new AIDS cases from 250,000 in 2000 to 360,000 by 2010. As a result of the epidemic, the crude death rate in Nigeria was about 20 percent higher in 2000 than in 1990. In 2001 alone, 170,000 adults and children died of AIDS. At the end of 2001, UNAIDS estimated that 1 million ch
