If you are HBsAg positive, it means you are infectious for the virus and can pass it to other people through your blood or body fluids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The HBsAg test is used along with other tests to confirm a\u00a0hepatitis B infection<\/a>\u00a0and whether or not the infection is in a contagious state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HBV is not usually directly cytopathic which means relating to degeneration or disease of cells (although high replication levels in immunosuppressed individuals can lead to direct toxicity) and liver damage is produced by the host\u2019s immune response. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. Globally, there are over 400 million chronic carriers of hepatitis B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of the 200,000 people who contract hepatitis B , 10 to 15,000 go on to develop a chronic form of the disease. Men are six times more likely than women to become chronic carriers of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), but the reasons for this are unclear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three types of hepatitis B infections:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Healthy chronic carriers of hepatitis B<\/strong>\u00a0are\u00a0not infectious to others\u00a0and, although they may have a slightly higher risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer than the general population, they mostly live normal lives. The virus can become reactivated if their immune systems are suppressed, <\/p>\n\n\n\n such as during a severe illness, treatment with\u00a0immunosuppressant drugs\u00a0for diseases like cancer or AIDS, or with drugs such as steroids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Chronic infectious hepatitis B<\/strong>\u00a0is highly infectious. The person with it may have a very inflamed and\u00a0damaged liver<\/a>\u00a0even with few or no symptoms. People with this type of hepatitis B are more likely to have a\u00a0progressive disease<\/a>\u00a0leading to cirrhosis. Only 5%\u00a0to 10% have spontaneous remission, become non-infectious to others, and sustain no further or minimal liver damage, although sometimes reactivation of the virus occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Chronic mutant hepatitis B\u00a0<\/strong>is a mutated strain of the virus with a permanent alteration of the hepatitis B virus\u2019s genetic makeup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Those with it have the potential to be infectious to others\u00a0and it is thought to be more resistant to treatment than other forms of the disease. Hepatitis B\u00a0virus<\/a>\u00a0(HBV)\u00a0antigens<\/a>\u00a0are proteins that appear in different areas of the virus. HBV has three antigens (surface, core, and envelope), <\/p>\n\n\n\n some of which can be detected in the blood. The body\u2019s immune response produces antibodies tailored to each type of antigen (surface\u00a0antibody<\/a>, core antibody, and envelope antibody), which can also be detected from a blood test.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The HbsAg testscreening test for\u00a0hepatitis B<\/a>\u00a0surface\u00a0antigens<\/a>\u00a0detects the presence of HBV in the blood. The antigens are detectable 4\u201310 weeks after\u00a0exposure<\/a>\u00a0to HBV. A positive HbsAg test result means the person is currently infected and can pass the\u00a0infection<\/a>\u00a0to others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Most adults who acquire HBV clear the\u00a0virus<\/a>\u00a0within a few months, and their\u00a0hepatitis B surface antigen<\/a>\u00a0test result will be negative after that time. Some people remain infected and continue to test positive for hepatitis B surface antigen. If, after 6 months, the person still tests positive, his or her HBV infection is considered chronic. People diagnosed with\u00a0chronic hepatitis<\/a>\u00a0B should have a detailed\u00a0 evaluation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Has the person ever been infected with HBV?<\/em>\u00a0The\u00a0hepatitis B core antibody<\/a>\u00a0screening test detects the presence of antibodies to the HBV core antigen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The antibody appears in the blood within a few weeks of HBV\u00a0infection<\/a>. A positive result means the person has been infected with HBV, but it does not specify whether the person has cleared the\u00a0virus<\/a>, still has the infection, or is immune to reinfection. Is the person immune to HBV?<\/em>\u00a0The\u00a0hepatitis B surface antibody<\/a>\u00a0screening test detects the presence of antibodies the\u00a0immune system<\/a>\u00a0produces to attack the\u00a0virus<\/a>. These antibodies appear in people who have been vaccinated against HBV, or who had been infected and cleared the virus from their bodies. A positive hepatitis B surface antibody screening test means the person has lifetime\u00a0immunity<\/a>\u00a0from hepatitis B (the\u00a0Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2009<\/a>). In some situations, hepatitis B screening may be unavailable, but the hepatitis B vaccine is available. People can be safely vaccinated against hepatitis B if they have been previously infected or vaccinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a liver infection caused by HBV. You may need this test if you have symptoms of hepatitis B. Symptoms often start slowly. Many people have no symptoms or only feel like they have a mild case of the flu. You may not have symptoms until the infection becomes severe or chronic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common symptom is extreme tiredness. Other symptoms may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Does Being HbsAg Positive Mean?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Hepatitis](\"https:\/\/www.wikidoc.org\/images\/5\/59\/HBV_serum_markers.png\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat are the Hepatitis B\u00a0 antigens and antibodies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is the Hepatitis B infective status of the HbsAg positive patient?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hepatitis B Symptoms:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/3m_q8j-tOXeQSX5oeB1-KBNPyUGD9NUsCIuVcPwlHiDJGmxqAUdBMETcQWDgVp7wvHbu8JZBYVAGnIyLd-NyFRE3PfZj_Rw7RBwBa6FmBn7kVEtll4tgkjknsmjGSXsGamImqZTIkn7MMXjiEPUrzlk2HhfL0e5yWxy0Br4yTJDB_jdYrSLWcOvRW8XZ\")