Performance of rapid diagnostic tests for the detection of antibodies to hepatitis C virus in whole blood collected on dried blood spots.

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) represent an attractive alternative to enzyme immunoassays. A total of 207 individuals, including 68 HCV-seronegative subjects, 10 patients with resolved infection and 129 patients with chronic HCV infection, were studied. The specificity of RDT detection of anti-HCV antibodies in whole blood was 100% with the four RDTs tested: OraQuick(®) HCV Rapid Antibody Test, First Response HCV Card Test, ASSURE HCV Rapid Test and MultiSure HCV Antibody Assay. Their diagnostic sensitivity varied between 98.6% and 100%. RDT detection of anti-HCV antibody in whole blood collected on dried blood spots appears to be a promising new tool for broadscale screening of HCV infection in high- to medium-risk populations.