There has been an explosion of both the incidence and medical knowledge of viral hepatitis over the last two decades. The incidence of infection and disease is continuing to increase dramatically. The CDC estimates that 93,000 people in the US were infected with Hepatitis A during 2001 and that 31.3% of the US population have been infected at some point. Similarly, there are now estimated to be 1.25million people in the US who are chronically infected with Hepatitis B, resulting in 5,000 deaths per year. For Hepatitis C, the figures are 2.7 million people infected in the US, resulting in 8,000-10,000 deaths per year. Not only is the incidence of infection and disease increasing, but new Hepatitis viruses have been discovered, as well as the launch of new pharmaceutical products.
