Hepatitis C Antibody (HCV), Rapid Screening Test

Hepatitis C is a viral infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) that affects your liver. The common symptoms of a recent HCV infection include fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice (yellowing of skin and the whites of the eyes). This infection spreads when you come into contact with an infected person's blood, or body fluids. It can also spread through sexual contact, sharing needles, syringes, or any drug-injection equipment, transfusion of infected blood, or from a mother to the child during birth. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an HCV Antibody test for people who are at an increased risk of this infection, have come in contact with an already infected person, or show any of the symptoms of an HCV infection. However, about 80% of the infected individuals do not exhibit any symptoms after the initial infection.

The Hepatitis C Antibody (HCV), Rapid Screening Test test is only an initial screening test for detecting HCV antibodies. If this test is positive, more specific tests like HCV RNA, should be performed to confirm HCV infection. The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recommends using these supplemental tests (like HCV RNA) to distinguish between true and false positives. If both the initial test and the confirmatory test are positive, it indicates an active HCV infection. A negative result generally means there is no infection, but it does not preclude the possibility of HCV infection especially in individuals with weak immune systems. Early diagnosis can prevent health problems resulting from the infection and further virus transmission. The test also helps distinguish HCV infection from other forms of hepatitis.

Usually, no special preparation is needed for this test. You may eat and drink as per your daily routine. Talk to your doctor about your specific test results. Narrate your complete medical history to help them correlate your clinical and laboratory findings. The test results will help the doctor determine your medical condition and formulate your treatment plan.