Is dual testing for hepatitis C necessary? Modelling the risk of removing hepatitis C antibody testing for Australian blood donations.
Avijoy Roy ChoudhuryVeronica C HoadClive R SeedPeter BentleyPublished in: Vox sanguinis (2023)
Antibody testing in addition to NAT does not materially change the risk profile. Even conservative estimates for the cessation of anti-HCV predict an HCV transmission risk substantially below 1 in 1 million. Therefore, given that it is not contributing to blood safety in Australia but consuming resources, anti-HCV testing can safely be discontinued.