Hepatitis C by the numbers
* 40 percent of infected persons do not exhibit clear risk factors such as a history of blood transfusions or intravenous drug use.
* Six forms of the disease have been identified. Any one person can carry numerous variants of hepatitis C.
* Over one million bacterial clones were tested to isolate the one that would react with serum from hepatitis C patients.
* Cirrhosis of the liver -- the gradual loss of liver function due to cell damage and internal scarring -- occurs faster in adults over age 50 who consume more than 50 grams of alcohol per day.
* 20 percent of patients develop cirrhosis over the first 20 years of infection.
* 15 to 20 percent of patients respond to treatment of alpha interferon, a natural protein that boosts immune system activity.
* 40 percent of patients respond to a combination of alpha interferon and Ribavirin, a drug that inhibits viral activity.
--by Lisa Ann Kaufman
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