The BC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory (BCCDC PHL) performs all HCV RNA testing and HCV genotyping in BC. The laboratory also performs a limited number of HIV RNA tests to help confirm acute HIV infection, in prenatal women and their neonates, and for performing pooled nucleic acid testing of seronegative men who have sex with men to detect pre-seroconversion infection.
In January 2017, the Abbott RealTime HCV and HIV-1 viral load assays will replace the Roche Cobas AmpliPrep/Cobas TaqMan HCV (v2) and HIV-1 (v2) tests for HIV & HCV RNA. The Abbott Realtime HCV Genotype II assay will also replace the VERSANT HCV Genotype 2.0 Assay for HCV genotyping.
The analytical performance of the Abbott assays was determined to be equivalent to the currently used tests in a retrospective evaluation.
Reporting of HCV and HIV RNA results will not change. There will be a revised comment on HCV reports reflecting the slightly different limit of detection and dynamic range of the Abbott RealTime assay. HCV genotype reports will contain a revised comment reflecting the type of test used. Revised comments are shown below.
HCV RNA quantitative NAT report comment
Previously with Roche test: The assay is quantitatively accurate between 15 and 100,000,000 IU/mL
Now with Abbott assay: The assay is quantitatively accurate between 12 and 100,000,000 IU/mL
HCV genotype report comment
Previously with VERSANT test: By line probe assay
Now with Abbott assay: By nucleic acid testing
Please see below PDF for the official memo.