全球有近 6000 万人感染丙型肝炎病毒 (HCV)，这是一种血源性病原体，可导致肝硬化并增加患肝细胞癌的风险。那些获得医疗资源有限的人，例如注射吸毒者和低收入和中等收入国家的人们，负担最重。目前的丙肝病毒诊断算法速度慢且成本高，导致丙肝病毒高危人群的诊断和治疗面临重大障碍。目前还没有针对 HCV 的疫苗，并且感染通常是无症状的，直到发生严重的肝硬化为止，这使得筛查对于预防肝损伤和传播非常重要。最近的研究试图通过改进诊断程序的各个方面来解决这些问题，使用等温扩增技术进行病毒 RNA 扩增、使用病毒蛋白作为分析物以及采用简化的独立测试系统等方法降低管理技能要求。本综述全面概述了 HCV 诊断的当前商业标准和新颖改进，以及未来整合这些改进的框架，以开发满足受影响最严重人群需求的一步式诊断。© 2024。作者（ s）。

Nearly 60 million people worldwide are infected with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), a bloodborne pathogen which leads to liver cirrhosis and increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Those with limited access to healthcare resources, such as injection drug users and people in low- and middle-income countries, carry the highest burden. The current diagnostic algorithm for HCV is slow and costly, leading to a significant barrier in diagnosis and treatment for those most at risk from HCV. There remains no available vaccine for HCV, and infection is often asymptomatic until significant cirrhosis has occurred, which makes screening incredibly important to prevent liver damage and transmission. Recent investigation has sought to address these issues through improvements in various aspects of the diagnostic procedure, using methods such as isothermal amplification techniques for viral RNA amplification, the use of viral protein as an analyte, and the incorporation of streamlined, self-contained testing systems to reduce administrative skill requirements. This review provides a comprehensive overview of current commercial standards and novel improvements in HCV diagnostics, as well as a framework for future integration of these improvements to develop a one-step diagnostic that meets the needs of those most affected.© 2024. The Author(s).