Abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents an important public health problem worldwide. The prevalence of HCV-related disease is increasing, and no vaccine is yet available. The presence of anti-HCV antibody is an indicator of HCV blood screening, but not a protective parameter. HCV RNA is a diagnostic marker for HCV infection. The highly sensitive assay increases the accuracy of detection and is critical for the diagnosis and treatment of HCV infection. When HCV RNA is not detected by high sensitivity assay, the patients are recovered from the disease and are not contagious anymore. However, anti-HCV antibody can be positive lifelong. Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) are safe and effective for the treatment of HCV infection. HCV genotyping is highly valuable in guiding individualized antiviral therapy.

Key words: Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Detection