Application of dried blood spot testing for hepatitis C virus RNA amplification

ABSTRACT

Background/Aim: Hepatitis C Virus [HCV] infection represent a major public health problem because of the ability of HCV to cause a chronic carrier state. Even though chronic carriers remain largely asymptomatic, a large number of these individuals subsequently develop cirrhosis and primary hepatocellular carcinomas. Dried Blood Spot [DBS] samples are a simple and inexpensive sampling method, especially useful for blood collection in resource poor settings with limited access to diagnostic facilities. The main advantage of DBS samples over routine blood samples is that only a small quantity of blood is required, easy to obtain, stable and can be transported to a reference laboratory at minimal cost