explanation results Hepatitis C - Anti-HCV
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explanation of the Hepatitis C - Anti-HCV results
Hepatitis C - official name Anti-HCV
The test measures the presence of antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which the body produces after infection with hepatitis C. There are also tests that detect the virus itself (proteins or DNA of the HCV). This test for the virus itself can be used to determine the amount of the virus (viral load) and also the type of HCV (genotyping).
Hepatitis C is a viral inflammation of the liver. This form of hepatitis was not discovered until the late 1980s. Many people are infected with the hepatitis C virus without knowing it. Hepatitis C is less contagious than hepatitis A and B. Infection requires blood contact.
Risk factors include:
administration of blood (products) before 1992; a reliable blood test was only available at the end of 1991 and all donor blood in the Netherlands was tested for hepatitis C.
use of drugs via injections; sharing of syringe props such as cotton balls, needles, water, etc. can transmit the virus
blood transfusions, surgeries, tattoos/piercings, ritual and other invasive procedures involving the use of unsafe donor blood or non-sterile work.
A hepatitis C infection is usually symptomless in the beginning. In the majority of cases (70%) the infection progresses unnoticed to a chronic form. About 20-30% of people with the chronic form develop liver damage (scar tissue) and of these, about 2-5% develop liver cancer per year. Some people do not develop symptoms until 20 or 30 years after infection when the liver has already been damaged.
Hepatitis C is one of the most common forms of chronic liver inflammation. The causes for contracting an infection are:
- Use of each other's syringes when injecting
- Blood transfusions, hemodialysis, and organ transplants in which controls are not properly implemented
- HCV-positive mothers can transmit the virus during pregnancy
If a hepatitis C infection is diagnosed, the doctor can use the HCV test to monitor the effect of treatment and judge whether the treatment leads to elimination of the virus. Even if the infection is mild, monitoring the course of the infection is very important because an HCV infection can easily become chronic. It is imperative that the physician closely monitor the condition of the patient's liver.
Negative: A negative test for antibodies to HCV means that the virus has not been detected. However, it does not automatically mean that the patient is not infected with HCV. This is because the antibodies are not detectable in the blood immediately after infection. That takes some time, even some months. But they are detectable for a long time after that.
Positive: The test result is positive if the patient's blood contains the antibodies to hepatitis C virus or the virus particles themselves. A positive test means that the patient is infected with the hepatitis C virus. The virus is fairly treatable. However, damage to the liver is not, which is why it is important to detect and treat the infection in time. In this case, about 50-80% of patients get rid of the virus permanently.
The test measures the presence of antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which the body produces after infection with hepatitis C. There are also tests that detect the virus itself (proteins or DNA of the HCV). This test for the virus itself can be used to determine the amount of the virus (viral load) and also the type of HCV (genotyping).
Hepatitis C is a viral inflammation of the liver. This form of hepatitis was not discovered until the late 1980s. Many people are infected with the hepatitis C virus without knowing it. Hepatitis C is less contagious than hepatitis A and B. Infection requires blood contact.
Risk factors include:
administration of blood (products) before 1992; a reliable blood test was only available at the end of 1991 and all donor blood in the Netherlands was tested for hepatitis C.
use of drugs via injections; sharing of syringe props such as cotton balls, needles, water, etc. can transmit the virus
blood transfusions, surgeries, tattoos/piercings, ritual and other invasive procedures involving the use of unsafe donor blood or non-sterile work.
A hepatitis C infection is usually symptomless in the beginning. In the majority of cases (70%) the infection progresses unnoticed to a chronic form. About 20-30% of people with the chronic form develop liver damage (scar tissue) and of these, about 2-5% develop liver cancer per year. Some people do not develop symptoms until 20 or 30 years after infection when the liver has already been damaged.
Hepatitis C is one of the most common forms of chronic liver inflammation. The causes for contracting an infection are:
- Use of each other's syringes when injecting
- Blood transfusions, hemodialysis, and organ transplants in which controls are not properly implemented
- HCV-positive mothers can transmit the virus during pregnancy
If a hepatitis C infection is diagnosed, the doctor can use the HCV test to monitor the effect of treatment and judge whether the treatment leads to elimination of the virus. Even if the infection is mild, monitoring the course of the infection is very important because an HCV infection can easily become chronic. It is imperative that the physician closely monitor the condition of the patient's liver.
Negative: A negative test for antibodies to HCV means that the virus has not been detected. However, it does not automatically mean that the patient is not infected with HCV. This is because the antibodies are not detectable in the blood immediately after infection. That takes some time, even some months. But they are detectable for a long time after that.
Positive: The test result is positive if the patient's blood contains the antibodies to hepatitis C virus or the virus particles themselves. A positive test means that the patient is infected with the hepatitis C virus. The virus is fairly treatable. However, damage to the liver is not, which is why it is important to detect and treat the infection in time. In this case, about 50-80% of patients get rid of the virus permanently.
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