Under what circumstances is a false-positive anti-HCV test result likely?
False-positive anti-HCV tests appear more often when persons at low risk for HCV infection (e.g., blood donors) are tested. Therefore, it is important to confirm a positive anti-HCV test with a supplemental test, such as RIBA (recombinant immunoblot assay), as most false positive anti-HCV tests are reported as negative on supplemental testing. More information is available from the Guidelines for Laboratory Testing and Result Reporting of Antibody to Hepatitis C Virus.
