How do you confirm someone has hepatitis c

[juventus]

Hello, how is a person diagnosed with hepatitis C?

Is it just having HCV antibodies positive, or do you have to also have detectable amounts of RNA.

What about people who clear the disease?

[Jakied]

Having antibody for Hcv means current infection or previous infection

with clearence, either through treatment or the immune system cleared

hcv on its own.  To confirm current infection, the Pcr test is needed. This

tests for the virus, not the antibody to the virus.  Someone who clears

Hcv will keep the antibody, as a parting gift, for a LONG time.  Maybe

the rest of their life.  Sexual Transmission of Hcv is possible but not

likely.  When sexual transmission occurs, it is usually male to female.

Drug use and blood transfusion, before 1991, are the most efficient

methods of transmission.  Hep C is not considered a STD, as are Hep

B and Hiv.

[lalapple]

PCR qualitative or quantitative to confirm that you have the hepatitis c virus in the body

[hopeforall108]

Actually I have a question for ya? Did your gf get tested by her general practioner and if so where is his lab and how did he treat the blood for the RNA test before he sent it off for testing? Is the lab far away? Cos the blood for the RNA test has to frozen if it has to travel for testing and it also must be treated a certain way before the test can be done, if these things ain't done right false results are very likely. Also find out if the lab he uses is regulated by your countries health authority?

[hopeforall108]

If you read the comments I left on your other posts, it's all explained. I.e. The whole blood test thing bout possible false results and the possibility of occult infection. Read the comments and ship your Gf off to the doc for retest, if he won't do it find another doc. If you and gf have ever had unprotected sex previous to this period incident then u should also be tested if fir no other reason than to ascertain your hep c status at this time normal sexual practice holds less than 1% risk of infection or so those in the so called know tell us. It may also be possible that if you and your gf test positive that u were the one who infected her as u might not know u carry this virus even if you've had it for years so if the worst comes to the worst don't go blaming your gf instead reflect on your own past and think bout possibly risky things you have gotten up to. You must also remember thatat least 20% of people infectedgaveno aparent risk factors what so ever.  

[newleaf09]

I agree. the antibody screening test only says you were exposed to it.  Diagnosis is not possible without the PCR test for qty. of viral particles.  It determines if you still have the virus.

For folks that get uncertain results on the antibody screening, there are a couple other tests that can be done to confirm HCV.  I'm not sure why you'd do them instead of moving straight to the PCR, perhaps because PCR is an expensive test?

[Bill1954]

A diagnosis of HCV requires a positive HCV RNA test result; the presence antibodies do not indicate infection.

Bill

[jonney4141]

i am almost postitive you have to have the rna test come back positive, i may be completly wrong here, so hopefully someone with more wisdom can respond.