Back in the late eighties a new virus was found to cause liver problems after blood transfusions. The virus was genetically different from existing Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B viruses and named “non A non B hepatitis.”  This new virus was later named Hepatitis C. As of today it is estimated that 4.5 million  Americans and 200 million people worldwide are infected with the Hepatitis C virus, making it one of the greatest public threats of the century. Hepatitis C can become a very serious health condition and is already a “not so hidden epidemic.”  Without rapid intervention to contain the spread of the disease, the death rate for Hepatitis C will sooner or later surpass the HIV/AIDS death rate.