Performance of rapid diagnostic tests for HCV infection in serum or plasma

Aim:HCV diagnosis will become the bottleneck in eliminating hepatitis C. Simple, accurate and cost-effective testing strategies are urgently needed to improve hepatitis C screening and diagnosis. Materials & methods:Performance of seven rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) have been assessed in a large series (n = 498) of serum or plasma specimens collected in France and in Cameroon. Results:Specificity varied from 96.1 to 100%. The clinical sensitivity, compared with immunoassays as the reference, was high for all seven RDT (97.2–100%). The Multisure HCV antibody assay and OraQuick HCV rapid antibody test reached sensitivity ≥99%. Conclusion:A number of RDT may be suitable for WHO prequalification and may be implemented in the framework of large-scale low-cost treatment programs to achieve the WHO viral hepatitis objectives by 2030.