Vietnam has nearly 1 mln hepatitis C patients

HO CHI MINH CITY, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Nearly one million people in Vietnam, with a total population of 95 million, are infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV), the Preventive Medicine Department said on Sunday.

Because hepatitis C develops no clear symptoms, so up to 90 percent of local people are not aware of HCV infection, while there are no vaccines for HCV.

Untreated hepatitis C and hepatitis B are leading causes of liver cancer and cirrhosis in Vietnam, the department said, adding that some 20,000 people in the country die of liver cancer each year.