Diagnosing Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C Fact Sheet
(PDF 17 KB)
Most often diagnosis is made several years to even
decades after infection since the early phase of infection is usually
asymptomatic.
Hepatitis C is diagnosed by identifying antibodies to
the virus in the blood. The most common test for these antibodies
is an enzyme immunoassays (EIA).
Tests do not distinguish between acute and chronic
infections.
An original positive test result should be followed with
a confirmatory test, such as a recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA), or
one that actually detects the presence of virus, such as an NAT for HCV
RNA.
Additional tests that are helpful in diagnosing and
managing patients include liver function tests (LFTs).
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