Rapid hepatitis C test Xpert®

for antibodiesHCVblood

Viral hepatitis is one of the leading causes of death globally with 1.34 million deaths per year, as many as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria. Both hepatitis B and C viruses cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world.1 The WHO global health sector strategy to eliminate Viral Hepatitis C as a major public health threat by 2030 identifies the key role of diagnostics and linkage to care.2 Individuals at highest risk of transmitting HCV, such as people who inject drugs, prisoners, and men who have sex with men, have poor access to testing and therefore treatment.2 Complicated multi-step diagnostic pathways based on antibody screening and RNA confirmation take time and represent barriers that discourage at risk populations from testing The Need Simplification of the diagnostic pathway to improve linkage to care Until now, confirmation of a positive antibody-based test requires venepuncture, preparation and transport of blood specimens, laboratory expertise, and days/weeks to obtain results.4 A final diagnosis of active HCV infection may require up to 5 visits.3 A simple one-step pathway, with a fast RNA diagnostic at the point of care, may have the potential to simplify testing algorithms, increase diagnosis rates, and lead to increased linkage to care. The Solution Xpert HCV VL Fingerstick on the GeneXpert® System Collect a drop of blood via fingerstick, transfer the blood to a test cartridge and run the test. Fast diagnosis of HCV RNA from capillary whole blood and venous blood samples Flexible and portable system, thanks to a cartridge-based design. Quantitative RNA results available in less than 1 hour at the point of care.