Hepatitis C Antibody Rapid Screen

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is considered to be the major cause of post-transfusional non-A - non-B hepatitis (NANBH), as well as that transmitted by non-transfusional parenteral routes (hemodialysis patients, transplant patients) Fifty to sixty percent of patients infected with hepatitis C are likely to develop chronic hepatitis and risk the development of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma.

The practice of compulsory screening of every blood donation (for anti-HCV antibodies) has significantly decreased the risk of transmission by infected blood HCV Ab assay is intended for the detection of anti-HCV antibodies in human serum or plasma and therefore contributes to the prevention of parenteral contamination. It can also be used for the diagnosis of HCV infection. In both cases, results should be interpreted in conjunction with clinical data and other serological markers.