Performance of the OraQuick Hepatitis C virus antibody test in oral fluid and fingerstick blood before and after treatment-induced viral clearance

Chronic hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection leading to cirrhosis has been the main liver transplant indication for the last 15 years, before the availability of direct-acting antivirals (DAA). HCV still represents considerable economic burden on health systems worldwide with an estimated 71 million people chronically infected [1 –3] and 700,000 annual deaths because of untreated chronic infection [4]. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended screening in individuals considered to be at high risk of contracting the infection [5,6].

Source: Journal of Clinical Virology - February 24, 2018 Category: Virology Authors: Carmina Pallar és, Ângela Carvalho-Gomes, Vanessa Hontangas, Isabel Conde, Tommaso Di Maira, Victoria Aguilera, Salvador Benlloch, Marina Berenguer, F. Xavier López-Labrador Source Type: research