Lack of Seroconversion in a Health Care Worker after Polymerase Chain Reaction–Documented Acute Hepatitis C Resulting from a Needlestick Injury

Abstract

We present a case of documented acute hepatitis C that occurred in a health care worker who sustained a needlestick injury while caring for an individual who was infected with both hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to the findings of third-generation serological assays performed during a follow-up of >1 year, the health care worker, who was treated with interferon-alpha (during weeks 2-6) and ribavirin (during weeks 5-9), did not develop antibodies against HCV, in spite of documentation of an HCV-specific T cell response.