Hepatitis B Virus Tests

• 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 Reference Bilirubin, Reference Alkaline Phosphatase, Reference Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), and Reference 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.

© 1995-2011, Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.