The Hawaii Department of Health says it is partnering with local laboratories to expand testing for hepatitis C, a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus.

Currently, hepatitis C is screened through antibody testing of a simple blood draw, but requires an RNA test to confirm infection. However, one in three people with a positive HCV-antibody test do not receive a confirmatory RNA test, DOH said.

Reflex testing assures that when an antibody screening test is positive, the specimen is automatically processed by the laboratory to confirm hepatitis C infection using an RNA test.

DOH, in partnership with Diagnostic Laboratory Services and Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii, is urging health care providers to order the “reflex” option when screening for hepatitis C to ensure more accurate and timely diagnoses.

“By promoting the option to ‘reflex’ hepatitis C screening tests to confirmatory tests, our local labs are helping to improve the pathway to cure for many people in Hawaii,” said Thaddeus Pham, DOH Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, in a news release.

Hepatitis C is spread through direct blood-to-blood contact with someone who has it, most commonly through sharing injection drug use equipment.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that all adults ages 18 and older get tested for hepatitis C at least once, regardless of any known risk.

For more information on hepatitis in Hawaii, visit hepfreehawaii.org.