Hepatitis C Virus. HCV is similar to the animal pestivirus and is close to the human Flaviviridae group. The infection is spread by contact associated with intravenous drug use and nosocomial transmission. 70 to 80 percent of persons infected by Hepatitis C are affected by chronic hepatitis, and 20 to 30 percent of these cases lead to cirrhosis with a risk of liver cancer, 10 to 20 years after the initial infection. Viral diameter approximately: 50-60nm. Viral magnification 1,800,000x at 10cm and image colorization with HDRI treatments on a Transmission Electron Micrograph view (TEM).