Criteria
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): hepatitis C, acute - 2020 case definition[75]
All hepatitis C virus cases in each classification category should be >36 months of age, unless known to have been exposed non-perinatally.
Clinical criteria
One or more of the following:
Jaundice
Peak elevated total bilirubin levels ≥3 mg/dL
Peak elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels >200 IU/L.
And
The absence of a more likely diagnosis (which may include evidence of acute liver disease due to other causes or advanced liver disease due to pre-existing chronic hepatitis C virus infection or other causes, such as alcohol exposure, other viral hepatitis, haemochromatosis, etc.).
Laboratory criteria
Confirmatory laboratory evidence:
Positive hepatitis C virus detection test: nucleic acid test for HCV RNA positive (including qualitative, quantitative, or genotype testing), or
A positive test indicating presence of hepatitis C viral antigen(s).
Presumptive laboratory evidence:
A positive test for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV).
Probable case
A case that meets clinical criteria and has presumptive laboratory evidence, and
Does not have a hepatitis C virus detection test reported, and
Has no documentation of anti-HCV or HCV RNA test conversion within 12 months.
Confirmed case
A case that meets clinical criteria and has confirmatory laboratory evidence, or
A documented negative HCV antibody followed within 12 months by a positive HCV antibody test (anti-HCV test conversion) in the absence of a more likely diagnosis, or
A documented negative HCV antibody or negative hepatitis C virus detection test (in someone without a prior diagnosis of HCV infection) followed within 12 months by a positive hepatitis C virus detection test (HCV RNA test conversion) in the absence of a more likely diagnosis.
CDC: hepatitis C, acute 2020 case definition Opens in new window
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): hepatitis C, chronic - 2020 case definition[76]
All hepatitis C virus cases in each classification category should be >36 months of age, unless known to have been exposed non-perinatally.
Clinical criteria
One or more of the following:
Jaundice
Peak elevated total bilirubin levels ≥3 mg/dL
Peak elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels >200 IU/L.
And
The absence of a more likely diagnosis (which may include evidence of acute liver disease due to other causes or advanced liver disease due to pre-existing chronic hepatitis C virus infection or other causes, such as alcohol exposure, other viral hepatitis, haemochromatosis, etc.).
Laboratory criteria
Confirmatory laboratory evidence:
Positive hepatitis C virus detection test: nucleic acid test for HCV RNA positive (including qualitative, quantitative, or genotype testing), or
A positive test indicating presence of hepatitis C viral antigen(s).
Presumptive laboratory evidence:
A positive test for antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV).
Probable case
A case that does not meet or has no report of clinical criteria, and
Has presumptive laboratory evidence, and
Has no documentation of anti-HCV or RNA test conversion within 12 months, and
Does not have an HCV RNA detection test reported.
Confirmed case
A case that does not meet or has no report of clinical criteria, and
Has confirmatory laboratory evidence, and
Has no documentation of anti-HCV or HCV RNA test conversion within 12 months.
CDC: hepatitis C, chronic 2020 case definition Opens in new window
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