What is Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing?
Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing (NAT) is a highly-sensitive method of testing blood that is used to detect Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) and West Nile Virus (WNV) in blood. Most traditional screening tests require the presence of antibodies to trigger a positive test reaction. The period of time between initial infection and detection of antibodies is called the “window period”. NAT reduces the window period by detecting low levels of viral genetic materials that are present soon after infection but before the body has had a chance to start producing antibodies.
