The Silent Epidemic: Hepatitis C

The identification of the hepatitis C virus in 1989 solved a growing mystery. Over the past ten years, large numbers of hepatitis victims had begun to appear, apparently with a virally caused disease. But when examined, these patients tested negative for both hepatitis A and B. The unknown disease was known as non-A, non-B hepatitis. When a test was developed in 1990 to identify individuals infected with hepatitis C, hepatitis C was found to be responsible for the majority of these cases - and it has quickly proved to present a frightening challenge.

In contrast to most other types of hepatitis, more than 80% of hepatitis C (HCV) infections become chronic and lead to liver disease. Hepatitis C, in combination with hepatitis B, now accounts for 75% of all cases of liver disease around the world. Liver failure due to hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States.

Since hepatitis C infection is typically mild in its early stages, it is rarely diagnosed and is often not recognized until its chronic stages when it has caused severe liver disease. With a typical cycle of disease from infection to symptomatic liver disease taking as long as 20 years, the true impact of this disease on our growing infected population will not be apparent for many years. For this reason, it is often referred to as the "silent epidemic".

Micrograph of liver cells afflicted with the mysterious non-A non-B Hepatitis. Hepatitis C was found to be responsible for many of these cases.

It is suspected that there are, at present, more than 4.5 million people in the United States that are infected with hepatitis C, and more than 200 million around the world - making it one of the greatest public health threats faced in this century, and perhaps one of the greatest threat to be faced in the next century. A vaccine against hepatitis C may not be available for many years to come, and there are already many times more people infected with HCV as have HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). Without prompt intervention to treat infected populations and prevent the spread of disease, the death rate from hepatitis C will surpass that from AIDS by the year 2000 - and it can only get worse.