Frequent Detection of Hepatitis C Virus US Strain in Japanese Hemophiliacs

摘要

Hemophiliacs have been found to be at high risk of hepatitis. Hemophiliacs in Japan receive imported clotting factors as well as domestic ones. Recently we found that hepatitis C virus (HCV) could be classified into at least two types, HCV‐US and HCV‐J, depending on the nucleotide sequence. We analyzed the nucleotide sequences of virus RNAs from the plasma of patients with hemophilia A or B and found HCV‐US in 3 of 4 Japanese hemophiliacs examined.