Hepatitis C, Past or Present
2011 Case Definition
Hepatitis C, Past or Present
2011 Case Definition
Print
2011 Case Definition
CSTE Position Statement(s)
- 10-ID-09
Clinical Description
No symptoms are required. Most hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected persons are asymptomatic; however, many have chronic liver disease, which can range from mild to severe.
Laboratory Criteria For Diagnosis
One or more of the following four criteria:
- Antibodies to hepatitis C virus (Anti–HCV) positive (repeatedly reactive) by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) verified by at least one additional more specific assay, OR
- Hepatitis C virus recombinant immunoblot assay (HCV RIBA) positive, OR
- Nucleic acid test (NAT) positive for HCV RNA (including 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 and posted by CDC. (https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/LabTesting.htm)
Case Classification
Probable
A case that is anti-HCV positive (repeat reactive) by EIA and has alanine aminotransferase (ALT or serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase [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 cut-off ratio is unknown.
Confirmed
A case that is laboratory confirmed and does not meet the case definition for acute hepatitis C.
Related Case Definition(s)
Last Reviewed: April 16, 2021