Hi Liz
Sorry to hear you have hepatitis.
I am type 4 and have just finished 48 weeks of tx. When I started tx I was told by my doctor that I had about a 65% chance of SVR. I was probably infected in the late 70's but didn't know I had it until 1999. I did not treat then because I did not have liver damage at that point. Seven years later, however, I had stage 2 damage to my liver and decided to give tx a shot.
Relatively little is known about type 4 because it is uncommon in Europe and the US. Type 4 though, is very common in Egypt, something like 10 to 20% of the population due to a vaccination program in which syringes were re-used.
Here are a few links
http://www.hivandhepatitis.com/2004icr/aasld/docs/hcv/111904_a.html
http://gut.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/54/6/858
Good Luck
Check out this websight. THere is a wealth of information on genotypes here. According to this janis&hepc sight, genotype 4 is highly prevelent in Egypt and S Africa.
http://janis7hepc.com/Genotypes.htm#what%20is%20a
That website will give you the BEST easiest to understand description of what exactly you have and what you can do about it etc.
There are lots of us in here with the disease so...know that you are not alone, ok?
we are here if you need us!
Welcome, geno type 1 and 4 do treatment for 48 weeks at a higher dose. Sorry to hear your infected with HCV but your not alone as you can see from the forum. All here are not drs. but great and caring people. You will find much help here.
What are your stats; like geno, viral load, etc.
Beagle