I have been waiting for a numerical estimation on HCV risk factor #1, blood transfusions, and found it in the above YouTube video. If you read a lot of HCV reports on PUBMED, you know that Dr. Harvey J. Alter is a superstar. Dr. Alter’s talk is 38 minutes short. He jokes as he gives a brief historical overview of the facts that laypeople can understand.
He states that in the era before testing for hepatitis was available, blood transfusions CAUSED about 4,800,000 cases of hepatitis C. No wonder this epidemic is so bad, especially in the veteran population (2013 post: Blood sources for U. S. troops in Vietnam.)
This is a must see.
This is a screenshot of a slide. For a brilliant yet simple overview, click the VIDEO in the first image.
asknod
brewerkelli
cspencer02
jamesaurora
kcraveiro
Laura
Veterans Claims Help 
It really isn’t surprising to see these outbreaks or figures. Just take for example the World War II veterans that came down with liver disease that were wounded in action after receiving a transfusion. It was not till recently that they discovered type C Hepatitis, let alone how to test for it. Also they as of yet have no way of successfully treating type A, the most frequently diagnosed of all of the hepatitis diseases.
<<<<>>> Negatory, Ron. Read up on HAV (infectious). It’s strictly food-borne (oral/anal route) and one achieves immunity after the acute infection (7-12 days) subsides. Thereafter, you cannot be reinfected as your body has the permanent antibodies to fight it. This isn’t always true with HBV (viral). Some of us go on to have a permanent, incurable chronic form of HBV which will inevitably kill us. Fortunately, it is extremely rare.