What is Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)?
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) damages the liver, one of the body’s most important organs. More than 180 million people worldwide-including nearly 4 million Americans-have antibodies to HCV (anti-HCV), indicating ongoing or previous infection with the virus. Each year, hepatitis C results in approximately 8,000 to 10,000 deaths in the United States. HCV is one of the primary causes of chronic liver disease and is also one of the most common reasons for liver transplant surgery in the United States. In this country, HCV accounts for 15 percent of acute viral hepatitis, 60 to 70 percent of chronic hepatitis, and as much as 50 percent of the cases of cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. In comparison to other types of viral hepatitis (hepatitis A through E), HCV has the greatest tendency to cause chronic liver disease. Approximately 75 percent of patients with acute hepatitis C ultimately develop chronic liver disease, and 20 percent of these patients will eventually develop cirrhosis over a p
