title: Epidemiology of hepatitis C.
abstract: Hepatitis C occurs worldwide and in all age and racial/ethnic groups studied. The most efficient transmission is through percutaneous exposure to infectious blood, but may also occur as a result of inapparent parenteral and mucosal exposure. Although hepatitis C virus may be inefficiently transmitted in some settings, the high rate of persistent infection with this virus creates a large reservoir of persons who are infectious to others, resulting in multiple opportunities for transmission to occur.
authors.affiliation: Hepatitis Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy