Chronic hepatitis B and C represent a major health problem for the United States.
Approximately 3. 2 million Americans are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus and 1. 25 million with chronic hepatitis B virus, with an estimated 55,000 hepatitis C virus- related deaths and 2,000-4,000
hepatitis B related deaths each year.
Data from longitudinal cohorts of patients with chronic hepatitis B and C virus infection are needed to understand the spectrum of disease, the natural history, and the public health impact of chronic viral hepatitis.
The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to understand the effectiveness, cost, benefits, and adverse effects of evolving antiviral therapy for hepatitis B virus infection and hepatitis C virus infection on a population basis.