Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Past or Present

2005 Case Definition

Clinical description

Most HCV-infected persons are asymptomatic. However, many have chronic liver disease, which can range from mild to severe including cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Laboratory criteria for diagnosis

• Anti-HCV positive (repeat reactive) by EIA, verified by an additional more specific assay (e.g. RIBA for anti-HCV or nucleic acid testing for HCV RNA),

• HCV RIBA positive,

OR

• Nucleic acid test for HCV RNA positive,

OR

• Report of HCV genotype

OR

• Anti-HCV screening-test-positive with a signal to cut-off ratio predictive of a true positive as determined for the particular assay (e.g., ≥3.8 for the enzyme immunoassays) as determined and posted by CDC.

Case classification

Probable: a case that is anti-HCV positive (repeat reactive) by EIA and has alanine aminotranferase (ALT or SGPT) values above the upper limit of normal, but the anti-HCV EIA result has not been verified by an additional more specific assay or the signal to cutoff ratio is unknown.

Confirmed: a case that is laboratory confirmed and that does not meet the case definition for acute hepatitis C.

See also:

• 2003 Case Definition [Hepatitis C Virus Infection (Past or Present)]

Print Page | Close Window