Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the major etiologic agent of post-transfusion and sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis. 1 Persistent HCV infection, which develops in at least 70% to 80% of infected patients, often progresses to chronic hepatitis and is highly correlated with the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. 2-4 Neither a vaccine, nor effective therapy are currently available for HCV, other than interferon alfa combined with ribavirin. 5,6