The Maui News

The state Department of Health is partnering with Diagnostic Laboratory Services and Clinical Laboratories of Ha-wai’i to encourage providers to do “reflex” hepatitis C testing, in hopes of screening more people for hepatitis C and eventually curing the infection, according to a news release from the state Department of Health.

Currently, hepatitis C is screened through antibody testing, but requires an RNA test to confirm infection. Reflex testing assures that when an antibody screening test is positive, the specimen is automatically processed by the laboratory to confirm hepatitis C infection using an RNA test.

The Health Department and the two laboratories urge health care providers to order the “reflex” option when screening for hepatitis C, to ensure more accurate and timely diagnoses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that all adults over age 18 get tested for hepatitis C at least once, regardless of any known risk. Testing for hepatitis C involves a simple blood draw and can be requested through health care providers.

Hepatitis C is primarily spread by blood-to-blood transmission, especially through shared injection equipment.

October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month and Hawaii has one of the highest rates of liver cancer in the U.S. The leading causes are viral hepatitis B and C. Across the U.S., new cases of hepatitis C are on the rise, increasing by more than 60 percent from 2015 to 2019, according to a DOH news release.

This partnership aligns with Hep Free 2030, the statewide strategy to eliminate viral hepatitis in Hawaii by 2030, which was developed by the Health Department in collaboration with Hep Free Hawai’i and over 160 community stakeholders. For more information on hepatitis elimination efforts in Hawaii, go to www.hepfreehawaii.org/hep-free-2030.