Chapter 15

Hepatitis C

Maria Rosangela Cunha Duarte Coelho, Georgea Gertrudes de Oliveira Mendes Cahu, Viviane Martha Santos de Morais and Ana Cecília Cavalcanti de Albuquerque

Abstract

Viral hepatitis are the major cause of liver transplants in the world - especially for hepatitis C (HCV) disorder that now affects over 185 million people in every continent. Initially known as hepatitis non-A non-B HCV was elucidated in 1989 as an etiologic agent. Since then HCV infection acquired special importance among the causes of liver disease particularly among HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy which presents significant morbidity and mortality from liver disease. The natural history of HCV is characterized by a silent evolution often the disease is diagnosed decades after the infection and usually in advanced stage. Hepatitis C has an important impact on global public health accounting for approximately 350,000 deaths per year.

Total Pages: 359-372 (14)

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