Most people who are known to have an acute hepatitis C infection get treated with medicine.

Some people with acute hepatitis C fight off the virus permanently and never have any liver problems.

Treatment of acute hepatitis C with interferon alfa-2b.

Acute hepatitis C refers to the initial illness from infection within six months of becoming infected.

Over half the patients who acquire acute hepatitis C virus infection develop chronic hepatitis.

At least 80% of patients with acute hepatitis C ultimately develop chronic liver infection, and 20% to 30% develop cirrhosis.

Most people (up to 85%) with acute hepatitis C move on to chronic hepatitis C infection.

There are two forms of hepatitis C. The first form is called acute hepatitis C, which means that you recently became infected with the virus.

Seven of them were hospitalized within a few weeks of the procedures for what was later determined to be acute hepatitis C, a liver disease caused by a blood-borne virus.

Data from studies conducted outside the United States suggest that a short course of interferon started early in the course of acute hepatitis C is associated with a higher rate of resolved infection than that achieved when therapy is begun after chronic hepatitis C has been well established (90--92).