Liver damage can become so severe that the only option is a transplant. Massive increase The research was headed by Dr Gary Davis, a researcher at Florida University. The disease can be treated with expensive drug therapies and the incidence of new infections appears to be declining. However, the researchers said it appears that only a small number of cases are being treated. The rise in cases is thought to be due to intravenous drug use and blood transfusions given before blood banks began screening for the virus in the early 1990s.
Many people carry the disease for many years with few symptoms.
A recent study by the British Liver Trust found that most hepatitis C sufferers in the UK were unhappy with their treatment and the amount of knowledge GPs had of the disease. Some haemophiliacs have been seeking compensation from the government after they contracted the disease from contaminated blood in the 1970s and 1980s. A study published last month in The Lancet medical journal said interferon in combination with a drug called ribavirin could be a breakthrough in treating chronic cases of the disease. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.