Description: Hepatitis C infection has been called "the silent killer" because millions have the virus and don't know it. New therapies have made it possible to cure more than half of patients with active infection, but a handful of liver experts are now questioning whether too many patients are being treated. In a personal view essay sure to stir controversy within the hepatitis community, two Italian researchers argue that the virus may be more benign than has been portrayed in the media. They contend that alcohol consumption, and not viral infection, may be the biggest factor in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related deaths.