Hepatitis C Is Most Common Blood-Borne Infection in U.S.

At least 2.7 million Americans carry the hepatitis C virus, making it the most common blood-borne infection in the United States, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta report in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. People who inject illegal drugs or engage in unprotected sex account for most people who carry hepatitis C, but people who had blood transfusions before mid-1992 also are at risk.

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--Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II