Most people display no symptoms upon initial infection with HBV, and they often aren’t diagnosed until the onset of advanced liver disease. In the meantime, they can unknowingly spread the virus through sexual contact and exchange of bodily fluids. In fact, hepatitis B is 50–100 times more infectious than HIV.
Efforts to treat the infection can be hindered by limited access to proper diagnostics and medication.
Detection and treatment of HBV
There are many different blood tests available to diagnose hepatitis B.
- Serological testing is performed to determine the presence of antibodies in response to a hepatitis B infection
- Molecular tests determine the amount of HBV in the blood at baseline and as a response to treatment and can be powerful tools for making proper treatment decisions