11.   A research scientist has provided the first glimpse into a kind of fatal hijacking that occurs at the molecular level of the hepatitis C virus.

12.   Even when treated with a virus-suppressing drug soon after it is acquired, the hepatitis C virus is likely to result in a chronic liver infection.

13.   Figuring out the type of hepatitis C virus a patient has, for instance, can avert months of treatment with a drug costing thousands of dollars.

14.   For the scores of medical research scientists toiling in laboratories around the world to unlock its secrets, the hepatitis C virus is a formidable adversary.

15.   Hamm said she has gotten letters from inmates who have been diagnosed with the hepatitis C virus and worry they will not receive treatment until the disease progresses.

16.   Injection drug use is the most common means of transmitting the hepatitis C virus.

17.   In the United States, infection with the hepatitis C virus is four times more common than with the AIDS virus.

18.   Researchers have identified for the first time an infectious clone of the hepatitis C virus, a development that experts say could help spur treatment research.

19.   Recent studies indicate the combination works better than Intron A alone against the hepatitis C virus.

20.   Similarly, it took several years to show that the hepatitis C virus was a common cause of chronic illness.