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Hepatitis C: prevention and treatment.

Widespread screening of donor blood for hepatitis B led to the recognition that most cases of post-transfusion hepatitis were due to an agent or agents, collectively known as non-A, non-B. Until recently, the causative agent for non-A, non-B hepatitis was unknown. In 1988, a new agent, hepatitis C virus, was identified. It is estimated that 150,000 new cases of hepatitis C occur each year and that one-half of patients with hepatitis C develop chronic liver disease. Hepatitis C is responsible for 15,000 new cases of cirrhosis annually. In 1990, an antibody assay was approved for commercial use. Widespread screening of donor blood with this assay should reduce the risk of transfusion-associated hepatitis C. For those patients already infected, antiviral therapy with alpha interferon may offer the chance of cure or significant palliation.