الفهرس 
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Abstract
Genus hepaciviruses is the causative agent of liver diseases in human and animals manifested with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma that may lead to death. Name of Hepacivirus from latin word Hepa means Liver and C referred to the first virus discovered in human (Hepatitis C virus). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the prototype of genus Hepacivirus of family Flaviviridae. HCV is endemic in Egypt; the most recent survey of HCV in Egypt revealed high prevalence as 14.7% of human population is infected, whereas acute infection is asymptomatic with a state of persistent infection and unable to clear the virus.
Despite the rapid advancements in HCV research in Egypt, some problems and great challenges might face the researchers in this regard. The first challenge is no survey to date in Egypt has detected or obtained serologic evidence of HCV like viruses in animals. The second challenge is the origin of hepatitis C virus remains undetermined, in animals or not furthermore a close homolog of HCV like viruses were isolated from animals, the hypothesis of animal origin of HCV might be equivalent to nonhuman primate origin of AIDS virus. Third challenge is the genetic diversity and high mutation rate of HCV and emergence of new virus genotypes and subgenotypes to escape from host immunity and antiviral drugs. The fourth challenge is the absence of safe and protective vaccines due to constrains of virus isolation. The fifth challenge is no evidence for animal reservoir that might have transmitted the virus to humans; furthermore, development of more effective intervention measures has been delayed.