Thanks ThomasTu, Chul Chan, and anonml for all of the helpful insights. It helps ease my mind a little bit. I will wait for the next test and get to know more about my condition next time I see my primary care doctor.
Thanks,
1 Like
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for the response!! I greatly appreciate it!! But i have some difficulty understanding the first part, my gf & i are both not health care workers. I read online that saliva also contains HBV DNA & since my gf has an open wound (from getting her wisdom tooth removed), im very worried that my saliva may have infected her through that.
Just want to check if you are aware if there are any reported case of transmission by deep kissing, if yes, what are the chances? Yes we are currently waiting for her results if shes clear she plans on getting vaccinated.
I certainly hope it is due to seroconversion. Thank you for the input!!
What happens if someone clears hbv, does his viral load read 0 (zero) or still figures remain high?
@availlant Just an update to my last post. After seeing my doctor in December and being referred to an Infectious Disease specialist for further testing, I was scheduled for another test in April for HBsAg, as I had no serological markers indicating a old or current infection. I recently had a follow up to the HBsAg test and the results came back negative. The specialist ruled my first HBsAg test a false positive but for a final confirmation has ordered for me to get a complete panel again. Other than laboratory Error what can cause someone to get a false positive test? Can getting vaccinations before a blood test trigger a false positive also? As I had gotten the HPV vaccine as well as a Tetanus booster shot a day before getting my bloods drawn. This whole ordeal has opened my eyes to my career path as I am about to pursue a graduate degree in Medical Technology but I am also now interested in getting into creating vaccines to possibly find a cure for Diseases such as this one. I have a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry, What program can I complete to get into creating vaccines? Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!
3 Likes
Hallo guys, I wanted to ask you something about viral load and cancer development. The last tests showed that my viral load is relatively low ( around 2000), and the fibroscan and ultrasound that I did little after that showed that at the moment my liver is absolutely fine, no scars whatsoever. My question is, if my viral low stays low does that mean that I am safe from developing fibrosis and subsequently liver cancer? Or even with low viral load, the hep b can still do damage to the liver. By the way, after the first shock of the diagnosis I have calmed down a lot, I believe that I have adopted a very healthy lifestyle (no bad foods, going back to the gym 5 times a week, no alcohol) and I hope that this will keep me safe for a long time.
1 Like
Hi @Javer,
Great question. Your thinking is correct; the whole idea is to get these numbers down such as viral load etc and the lower they are consistently the lower the chances of severe liver problems such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. But remember, none of this can be 100% guaranteed. As long as one has this virus, there is always a chance. We hope to decrease/lower our chances hence being treated. I hope this helps. Bansah1
1 Like
Hi @sgeanguy,
I mention this because there can be exposures and fluid exchange when doing surgery or other invasive procedures. This data shows that when the doctor’s levels are below 20000, there’s no measurable risk of transmission in this context. The amount of fluid transfer in these instances are likely on par with or more than the amount that takes place with the activity that you’re describing. It’s just a way of contextualising the risk.
Regarding saliva, while HBV DNA can be detected, I am not aware of the actual amount of infectious virus that is in the saliva. In any case, the risk of transmission is relatively low in this instance.
When someone clear HBV (becomes HBsAg-negative), is most instances the viral load becomes undetectable.
Dear @Mimi19, that’s great news! Indeed, vaccinations (which contain HBsAg) can cause false positives in HBsAg tests, so this may be the reason behind the results.
I would say the best way is to see if any scientists in your university are working on vaccines against conditions that you would be interested in and ask to do an internship or honours year. That’s probably the best way to experience whether this line of work is right for you.
Hi @Javer, yes, I would generally agree with @Bansah1: the better your liver looks and the lower your viral load is over time, the more stable your condition is and the risk of liver disease progression is quite low. However, things can indeed change (we don’t exactly know what drives these changes) so keeping your blood tests going and monitoring your status is the best way to be sure that everything remains OK.
Hope this helps,
Thomas