Hepatitis C

Reportable by Laboratories and Providers

About this Reportable Disease

Infectious agent: Hepatitis C virus

Description of illness: Hepatitis C is a virus that can cause inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis C is usually spread when blood from a person infected with the hepatitis C virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. Acute Hepatitis C occurs during the first several months after a person is infected. Many people with acute Hepatitis C do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. If symptoms occur, they can include: fever, feeling tired, not wanting to eat, upset stomach, throwing up, dark urine, grey-colored stool, joint pain, and yellow skin and eyes. Most people who get infected are not able to clear the virus and go on to develop chronic infection. Over time, chronic Hepatitis C infection can lead to serious illness including liver disease, liver failure, and liver cancer.

Interactive Disease Data

Laboratory Reporting for this Disease

Hepatitis C Virus

TEST NAME	Hepatitis C Virus by EIA
DISEASE/DISORDER	Hepatitis C
ALTERNATIVE NAME(S)	Hep C, HCV
METHODOLOGY	Abbott Anti-HCV Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay (CMIA) using the Abbott Architect
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS	Testing not approved for patients < 18years of age.
ORDERING INFORMATION	Lab Web Portal PTBMIS: Test Order Code: HEPC Test Order Description: HCV EIA SCREEN

Specimen Requirements

Patient Preparation	Venipuncture
Specimen Collection	Acceptable Specimen Sources/Type(s) - Whole blood in serum separator tube (SST) - Serum in sterile, plastic, screw capped vial
Specimen Labeling	Specimen should be labeled with at least two unique patient identifiers and match accompanying test order.
Specimen Processing	Follow the tube manufacture's processing instructions for collection tubes.
Specimen Storage and Preservation	Specimens may be stored on or off the clot, red blood cells, or separator gel for: - Up to 72 hours post collection at 2 - 30°C or - Up to seven (7) days at 2 - 8 °C If testing will be delayed more than three (3) days for specimens stored at room temperature or more than seven (7) days for specimens stored at 2 - 8°C, aliquot serum and store at (-20)°C or colder. Avoid three (3) or more freeze/thaw cycles.
Specimen Transportation	Ship specimens at 2-8°C on cold packs, if possible. Specimens may be shipped at 2-30°C if receipt at the laboratory will occur within 72 hours of collection. Specimen must be placed in an individual biohazard bag with absorbent material and should be shipped to the laboratory on the day of collection. All infectious substance shipments must conform to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR 49 C.F.R. Parts 171-180).
Specimen Acceptability and Rejection	Serum specimens collected in serum separator tubes will be accepted. Aliquoted serum in screw cap vials is acceptable. Specimens should arrive to the laboratory centrifuged. Specimens collected from patients <18 years of age will be rejected. Grossly hemolyzed, lipemic, or microbially contaminated specimens will be rejected. Specimens with clerical errors in the lab order or on the specimen tube will be rejected. Specimens broken in transit will be rejected. Specimens leaking in transit may be rejected after assessment of viability and contamination. Specimens with insufficient volumes of serum will be rejected. Specimens transported or stored at incorrect temperatures will be rejected. Specimens received after expiration of viability will be rejected.
Testing Location	Nashville Knoxville

Laboratory Reporting

Reporting requirements apply to all laboratories located within Tennessee, as well as laboratories outside of Tennessee that test residents of Tennessee, including laboratories located within healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers and laboratories in the same healthcare facility both have a duty to report. The type of organisms and analytes laboratories must report to TDH for 2026 are indicated, and there are several ways laboratories can report results to TDH.

Manually report results to TDH by faxing or mailing a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department, or faxing to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
Automatically submit results to TDH via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), which automates the process of sharing data with TDH using interoperability standards.
- See the ELR Onboarding Handbook for details on the onboarding process, checklist, frequently asked questions, business rules, message format, and vocabulary.
- To initiate the ELR onboarding process with TDH, register in the Trading Partner Registration (TPR) system TPR provides documentation for Promoting Interoperability (PI) attestation and milestone letters to document onboarding progress. Contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Learn More

2026 Hepatitis B and C Reporting FAQs

Information about this Reportable Disease for Healthcare Providers

Clinical Summary

A liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), spread through contact with infected blood.
It can be acute (short-term) but most often becomes chronic, lingering for years without obvious symptoms. National Prevention Information Network
Symptoms when present may include fatigue, dark urine, jaundice, and abdominal pain—but many people feel fine until serious liver damage appears.
Treatment with direct-acting antiviral medication can cure over 95% of cases; no vaccine yet exists.

Clinical Links & Info

Clinical information about this disease | CDC

Review the case definition | CDC

Access the case report form (2019) | TDH

Quick Reference: HCV (2019) | TDH

2026 Hepatitis B and C Reporting FAQs

Healthcare Provider Reporting

Healthcare reporting requirements apply to all providers located within Tennessee, as well as providers whose patients reside in Tennessee.

Providers must report cases of all diseases and conditions listed through one of these methods:

• Mail or fax a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department or fax to the state health office at (615) 741-3857

• Send automatically via electronic case reporting (eCR). See this TDH webpage for more information on eCR, register at the Trader Partner Registration website, or contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.

• Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.

• Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.

Information about this Reportable Disease for the Public

What It Is

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver caused by HCV. It often becomes chronic, leading to liver damage over time. Spread mainly through blood-to-blood contact. Many people do not have early symptoms.

Types

Acute Hepatitis C: Short-term, may clear on its own.
Chronic Hepatitis C: Long-term, can cause cirrhosis or liver cancer.
No significant subtypes affect treatment in most cases.
Genotypes 1–6 exist and guide therapy choice.

Signs and Symptoms

Fatigue, fever, nausea, or loss of appetite.
Dark urine, pale stool, and jaundice (yellow skin/eyes).
Abdominal pain or joint aches may occur.
Many remain symptom-free until liver damage appears.

Treatment

Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications can cure most cases.
Treatment duration usually 8–12 weeks.
No vaccine is available.
Early detection prevents serious liver complications.

This Page Last Updated: March 25, 2026 at 8:53 PM