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Hepatitis B Virus Tests - What To Think About
About this test
- Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination. The presence of antibodies to the hepatitis B virus may mean that you have developed immunity to the infection after being vaccinated. The hepatitis B vaccination protects against hepatitis D infection also.
- Hepatitis antibodies can take weeks or months to develop, so a person infected with hepatitis may initially test negative if testing is done early in the infection.
- People who have received the hepatitis B vaccine can have HBsAb antibodies without having any of the other hepatitis B markers (HBcAb, HBeAb, HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV DNA).
- All donated blood and organs are tested for hepatitis before being used.
- Other tests that show how well the liver is working are usually done along with hepatitis B tests. Examples include measurement of bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase. For more information, see the topics Bilirubin, Alkaline Phosphatase, Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), and Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST).
- In many states, some types of hepatitis infections must be reported to the local health department. The health department can then issue a warning to other people who may have been infected with the hepatitis virus, such as those who are close contacts of someone with hepatitis B.
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