Americans Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice, and British scientist Michael Houghton were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology on Monday for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus.
The head of the Nobel Committee, Thomas Perlmann, announced the winners in Stockholm. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no traditional Nobel Awarding Ceremony in Stockholm this year.
Thanks to their discovery, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now available and these have essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health, the committee said.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus and causes Hepatitis C disease which affects the liver. According to WHO, globally, an estimated 71 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus infection and a significant number develop liver cancer or cirrhosis.
The head of the Nobel Committee, Thomas Perlmann, announced the winners in Stockholm. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no traditional Nobel Awarding Ceremony in Stockholm this year.
Thanks to their discovery, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now available and these have essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health, the committee said.
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus and causes Hepatitis C disease which affects the liver. According to WHO, globally, an estimated 71 million people have chronic hepatitis C virus infection and a significant number develop liver cancer or cirrhosis.