STUDY - 2.7 MILLION AMERICANS HAVE CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

At least 2.7 million Americans carry the hepatitis C virus, making it
the most common blood-borne infection in the United States, according
to a study in today's New England Journal of Medicine.

The study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
Atlanta represents the first look at the prevalence of hepatitis C in
the United States.

"This is what we consider a conservative estimate," said Dr. Harold
Margolis of the CDC. "This is everyday Mr. and Mrs. American who live
in a household. This doesn't include the homeless and the prison
population. The number could be higher."

For reasons that aren't entirely clear, an estimated 1.2 million other
people who were once infected no longer have any signs of the virus,
Margolis said.

Scientists discovered the virus in 1989.

People who inject illegal drugs or engage in unprotected sex account
for most people who carry hepatitis C, but people who had blood
transfusions before mid-1992 also are at risk.

The disease and alcohol abuse rank as the leading causes of liver
disease. The infection can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer and
results in about 1,000 liver transplants annually in the United States.

The standard treatment is the drug interferon or a combination of
interferon and ribavirin. In some patients, drugs can make all signs
of the virus disappear, but it's unclear how long the effect lasts.