Hepatitis C is a form of hepatitis caused by an RNA virus of the Flaviviridae
family that targets the liver. HCV accounts for the majority of the
hepatitis cases previously referred to as non-A, non-B hepatitis, and is
responsible for 150,000 to 250,000 new cases of hepatitis each year.
The virus, which typically has a six to nine-month incubation period, presents
symptoms such as: fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, dark
urine, and jaundice; and if left untreated can lead to liver
failure, liver cancer and death. HCV is also a trigger for a
host of autoimmune disorders and various other diseases, such
as diabetes, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, retinal complications and
thyroiditis. According to a recent report by a committee
sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, nearly four
million individuals in the U.S. are infected with HCV. The
report also noted that treatment of the disease with current
drugs is disappointing and estimated that the number of
U.S. deaths caused by HCV will triple in the next 10-20 years.
