Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in Pakistan.

Since the discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989 as the causative agent of post-transfusion non-A non-B hepatitis, the epidemiology, pattern of transmission, different genotypes and clinical consequences of the disease have been studied worldwide, but little is known about the epidemiology of HCV infection in Pakistan. This paper reviews the available evidence on the epidemiology of HCV infection in Pakistan obtained via MEDLINE search (1970-2005) of published articles with key words hepatitis C and Pakistan, and other sources including ongoing discussions within the medical community. Approximately 10 million people have been infected with HCV in Pakistan.