RECENT ADVANCES Hepatitis C-Z: recent advances

HEPATITIS C Hepatitis C (HCV) is a flavivirus which was cloned in 1989, when it was identified as the major cause of post-transfusion hepatitis in adults and children. It is an RNA virus with a high degree of heterogeneity, which results in the rapid accumulation of mutations so that many variants may coexist in a single patient. This genetic diversity allows the virus to avoid immune surveillance, leading to chronic infection and difficulty in producing an effective vaccine. There are six major genotypes with different subtypes and a distinct geographical distribution. Current evidence suggests that natural history and response to treatment varies according to genotype.