Hep C Ab, (HCV Ab) details

This antibody test screens for past or current exposure to hepatitis C, a virus that frequently becomes a chronic, long-term infection capable of causing significant liver damage over years to decades if untreated. Because the antibody test can't distinguish between a resolved past infection and an ongoing active one, a positive result is typically followed by an HCV RNA (viral load) test, which detects the virus itself and confirms whether the infection is still active — important since highly effective, curative treatments are now available for active hepatitis C infection.