Hepatitis C virus (HCV), once known as "non-A, non-B" hepatitis, develops into a chronic infection in up to 85% of the 150,000 newly infected people each year. Currently in the United States, there are approximately 3.5 million Americans who are chronically infected with HCV. Like chronic hepatitis B, if left untreated, the chronic form of HCV has a greater chance of resulting in cirrhosis, liver cancer, or even liver failure. Liver failure due to chronic hepatitis C infection is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States.

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