Saifullah M, Khan M, Usman MA, Mehmood Q, Mehdi AM. OraQuick hepatitis C virus self-test: A new frontier in hepatitis C screening. World J Virol 2025; 14(3): 109614 [DOI: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i3.109614]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Abbas M Mehdi, MD, Department of Medicine, International School of Medicine, International University of Kyrgyzstan, 7 April Street, 6, Oktyabrsky District, Bishkek 720065, Kyrgyzstan. malikmehdi0508@gmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Infectious Diseases
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Virol. Sep 25, 2025; 14(3): 109614 Published online Sep 25, 2025. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v14.i3.109614
OraQuick hepatitis C virus self-test: A new frontier in hepatitis C screening
Muneeb Saifullah, Mavra Khan, Muhammad Ashhad Usman, Qasim Mehmood, Abbas M Mehdi
Muneeb Saifullah, Mavra Khan, Muhammad Ashhad Usman, Qasim Mehmood, Department of Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
Abbas M Mehdi, Department of Medicine, International School of Medicine, International University of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek 720065, Kyrgyzstan
Author contributions: Saifullah M conceived the idea and revised the manuscript; Saifullah M, Khan M, Usman MA, Mehmood Q and Mehdi AM wrote and reviewed the manuscript; All authors thoroughly reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Abbas M Mehdi, MD, Department of Medicine, International School of Medicine, International University of Kyrgyzstan, 7 April Street, 6, Oktyabrsky District, Bishkek 720065, Kyrgyzstan. malikmehdi0508@gmail.com
Received: May 19, 2025 Revised: June 11, 2025 Accepted: July 18, 2025 Published online: September 25, 2025 Processing time: 132 Days and 15 Hours
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 58 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), yet only about 20% have been formally diagnosed. Traditional laboratory–based antibody and RNA assays require infrastructure and trained personnel, limiting their uptake in resource-limited and hard-to-reach settings. The OraQuick HCV self-test (HCVST) is the first World Health Organization-prequalified HCVST, which delivers results in 20-40 min via an easy-to-use gum-swab format. Field evaluations report a sensitivity of about 97%–98% and a specificity of about 99%–100% that are comparable with those of blood-based lateral-flow assays (e.g., Alere Truline, SD Bioline). Usability studies demonstrated an acceptability rate of over 90% and a correct self-test completion rate of over 85% in key populations. HCVST with the OraQuick HCVST kit provides a practical, evidence-based approach to closing diagnostic gaps, particularly among underserved or stigmatized populations. To maximize the public health impact, programs should integrate self-testing into national screening algorithms, ensure linkage to RNA confirmation and treatment, and consider economic and operational contexts.
Core Tip: The OraQuick hepatitis C virus self-test, designed for home use, offers a profound yet straightforward solution for early detection, empowering individuals to take charge of their health and bringing us closer to the goal of hepatitis C virus eradication.
