Interferon, an antiviral medication, is currently the only FDA-approved treatment. Less than 50 percent of people with chronic HBV are able to take interferon, and only about a third of them experience a long-term benefit. Only 10 to 20 percent of people with chronic HCV benefit in the long-term from interferon. If treatment with interferon is not provided or is unsuccessful, HCV progresses slowly over many years. HBV can persist for years or even a lifetime.
Many people live without symptoms while the virus continues to attack their liver.
This can cause cirrhosis and puts patients at higher risk for liver failure and liver cancer. High-risk populations would include physicians, dentists, nurses, laboratory technologists, staff and residents of institutions, immunocompromised and people requiring dialysis or frequent blood transfusions. The HAV vaccine is recommended for those at especially high risk of HAV, including people who travel or work in developing countries and homosexual men. This vaccine is eventually expected to be given routinely to infants. Currently it is not licensed for children under age two.