Hepatitis C virus in infants and children.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects approximately 1% of the world's people. In the past there has been a lack of interest in HCV in the pediatric population; however, new data are accumulating at an exponential pace about the epidemiology, clinical spectrum, HCV genotypes, and molecular variants and evolution of HCV infection in infants and children. Thousands of children with chronic hepatitis C are enrolled in multicenter and multinational clinical protocols and therapeutic trials. This paper highlights recent advances in diagnosis, epidemiology, natural history, and therapy for hepatitis C in children and the implications of these advances for pediatric and primary care practice.
Thaler
M M
MM
University of California, San Francisco 94143-0136, USA.
D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018450:Disease Progression; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans