{"id":4417,"date":"2021-09-15T14:57:03","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T02:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.awanuilabs.co.nz\/central\/wellington\/?page_id=4417"},"modified":"2025-05-05T14:11:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T02:11:12","slug":"hepatitis-c-virus-hcv","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.awanuilabs.co.nz\/central\/wellington\/for-referrers\/microbiology\/how-do-i-diagnose\/hepatitis-c-virus-hcv\/","title":{"rendered":"Hepatitis C virus (HCV)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Infection:<\/strong> Hepatitis C virus; HCV; hep C<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-accordion ab-block-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"ab-accordion-title\">Brief description:<\/summary><div class=\"ab-accordion-text\">\n<ul>\n<li>Most new infectious in NZ are associated with intravenous drug use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other risk factors include blood transfusion in NZ prior to 1992, migration or healthcare received from a high incidence country, incarceration, tattooing in non-licensed premises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most infections are asymptomatic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-accordion ab-block-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"ab-accordion-title\">Did you know?<\/summary><div class=\"ab-accordion-text\">\n<p>HCV is now highly curable due to potent new treatments. However, reinfection is possible, as immunity does not develop.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-accordion ab-block-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"ab-accordion-title\">Who should I test?<\/summary><div class=\"ab-accordion-text\">\n<p>Test for HCV in people with risk factors or abnormal liver tests.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-accordion ab-block-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"ab-accordion-title\">Test of choice:<\/summary><div class=\"ab-accordion-text\">\n<p>Depends on whether already known to have a positive antibody<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scg.labapps.nz\/#\/WEL\/details\/27128\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Serology (HCV antibody)<\/a> <\/strong>is the first line test for diagnosis in people <strong>who have not tested positive before<\/strong>. It indicates infection at some point in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Excellent<strong> sensitivity &#8211; <\/strong>a <strong>negative<\/strong> test <strong>excludes<\/strong> hep C infection (unless exposure has occurred within the last few months).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excellent <strong>specificity<\/strong> &#8211; a <strong>positive<\/strong> result confirms infection with HCV <strong>at some stage<\/strong>, but <strong>does not<\/strong> necessarily mean the patient has <strong>active infection<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scg.labapps.nz\/#\/WEL\/details\/27877\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HCV core antigen<\/a> <\/strong>or<strong> <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scg.labapps.nz\/#\/WEL\/details\/27125\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>HCV<\/strong> <strong>RNA (HCV PCR\/viral load)<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>give the same information and distinguish<strong> resolved from<\/strong> <strong>active infection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>In our laboratory, HCV core antigen is <strong>added on automatically<\/strong> to patient samples that test positive for HCV antibody, to determine active infection status.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excellent<strong> sensitivity&nbsp;<\/strong>&#8211; a <strong>negative<\/strong> antigen result <strong>excludes active infection <\/strong>in almost all people (HCV core antigen may be negative in people with lower viral loads, however this is uncommon). The combination of a <strong>positive HCV antibody<\/strong> with a <strong>negative core antigen\/RNA<\/strong> indicates <strong>cleared\/past infection<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Excellent <strong>specificity<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; a <strong>positive<\/strong> result <strong>confirms active infection<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>HCV RNA<\/strong> also used to <strong>confirm cure<\/strong> from virus 12 weeks after completing treatment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-accordion ab-block-accordion\"><details><summary class=\"ab-accordion-title\">Tests to avoid\/specialist tests:<\/summary><div class=\"ab-accordion-text\">\n<p><strong>HCV antibody<\/strong> testing in people who have <strong>tested positive in the past<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>HCV antibody remains positive <strong>life-long<\/strong>, even with clearance of the virus. Repeat testing does not give any information as to whether the person has active infection or not.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Request <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scg.labapps.nz\/#\/WEL\/details\/27300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HCV RNA<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scg.labapps.nz\/#\/WEL\/details\/27877\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HCV core antigen<\/a><\/strong> if determination of active infection status is required in those who have had a positive antibody in the past.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/scg.labapps.nz\/#\/WEL\/details\/27300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Genotyping<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Because current treatments are effective on all genotypes this is no longer routinely required.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/details><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Infection: Hepatitis C virus; HCV; hep C","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"parent":4222,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-left-sidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hepatitis C virus (HCV) &#8211; 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