Investigation of the genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus among Turkish population in Turkey and various European countries

Hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection is a global health problem.HCV is one of the leading causes for acute and chronic hepatitis,liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.The prevalence of HCV infection varies from 0.1%to 0.2%in the West,to 3%in Mediterranean countries and up to 6%in tropical areas.The prevalence in Turkey is about 1.8%.HCV is classified into six different genotypes(genotypes 1-6),each consisting of different subtypes.HCV genotypes and their subtypes coexist in various geographic locations but show different prevalence levels.