Introduction

At the end of the second millennium, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is recognised as a major public health problem. The global prevalence of chronic HCV infection is estimated to be approaching 3% (over 170 million HCV infected people) with considerable geographical variation, ranging from 0.01-0.1% in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia to 17-26% in Egypt.¹ At present, the infection rate peaks among adults aged 30-49 and declines sharply in those older than 50 years, suggesting acquisition of HCV within the past 10-30 years.¹ In the United States, the estimated anti-HCV prevalence in 6-11 year old children is 0.2%, and among adolescents aged 12-19 it is 0.4%.^2 3 HCV induced end stage chronic liver disease is a leading indication for transplantation in the adult population of the United States.^1 2 Anti-HCV screening of blood products introduced during the early 1990s has minimised this mode of HCV acquisition, leaving vertical transmission from infected mothers . . . [Full text of this article]