Hepatitis C, Acute
2011 Case Definition
Hepatitis C, Acute
2011 Case Definition
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2011 Case Definition
CSTE Position Statement(s)
- 10-ID-08
Clinical Description
An acute illness with a discrete onset of any sign or symptom consistent with acute viral hepatitis (e.g., anorexia, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting), and either a) jaundice/dark urine, or b) serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels >400 IU/L.
Laboratory Criteria For Diagnosis
One or more of the following three criteria:
- Antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) screening-test-positive with a signal to cut-off ratio predictive of a true positive as determined for the particular assay as defined by CDC. (URL for the signal to cut-off ratios: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/LabTesting.htm), OR
- Hepatitis C Virus Recombinant Immunoblot Assay (HCV RIBA) positive, OR
- Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) for HCV RNA positive (including genotype)
AND, meets the following two criteria:
- Immunoglulin M antibody to hepatitis A virus (IgM anti-HAV) negative, AND
- IgM antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (IgM anti-HBc) negative
Case Classification
Confirmed
A case that meets the clinical case definition, is laboratory confirmed, and is not known to have chronic hepatitis C.
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Last Reviewed: April 16, 2021