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476246 tn?1418870914

Who should test for hep b in my situation

I'm new to the hep b forum, as I am a hep c'er.  My 18 year old daughter was diagnosed with hep c.. We just got her blood work back. All the counts were fine, ALT 23. But there was something I found very curious. She had Hep B antibodies, but no virus, meaning she cleared the virus herself. My GP said it was very common in children born and grown up in Asia. She was born in Indonesia and we left for Europe, when she was 8. We never knew she had it, as she had never had any jaundice. I read up a bit on this, and it seems that many children in that part of the world, get infected by playing with each other. The run around outside, fall, bleed, etc. Body contact is much more common in Indonesia. (I myself am hep b negative, with no antibodies)  

My question is, do I need to have my other children (17 - 24) also tested for hep b?  Nobody is ill with any symptoms. Is hep b similar to hep c, where one could be chronically infected without knowing it?
My gut feeling tells me, I should get them tested, but my GP (very good, kind and helpful) says it is not necessary, as if they had chronic hep b, they would be quite ill.

Just FYI,  all the other kids tested hep c negative.

Thank you before hand for any info on this.

Marcia
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476246 tn?1418870914
I just found my old thread. Sorry for the new post. They all tested negative. Thank God!
And again, thanks for the support! I'll be heading back to the hep c forum.

Marcia
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476246 tn?1418870914
Thanks. I will.

Marcia
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Avatar universal
I believe that that is true but check on that.

I agree, the how is relatively unimportant.  

Update us when you get the results but I'll anticipate them being in the clear.

Cheers!
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476246 tn?1418870914
My kids are all born in Indonesia and received all the vaccines like, TBC, DTP, Polio and Measels at this reputable pediatrician. No funny needles or so.

She did have an accident when she was 4 and had to be sewn 4 stitches on her forehead. But it was a good hospital I brought her to. Anyway, I am not so concerned about how she got it, especially since she has cleared. My real concern is, that she might have infected any of my other kids, when she was acute. Or maybe another one of my kids has it or had it and infected her. Better safe than sorry.

Another question, is it true that once you have had hep b and cleared, that you are immune to ever catching it again?

Thanks,

Marcia
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Avatar universal
I guess you have to make that assumption.  Its a long shot but I think most of us like to know for sure.  There's enough to worry about w/o having to worry about unknowns that could be made knowable.

I know only too well the, "This guy from the internet..." thing.  

I also contracted it as a child (I was born in Viet Nam) and did not manage to clear it.  We left when I was 14-months old.  My mother tests negative so it might have been from vaccinations.  Did you daughter receive vaccinations overseas?  That is another possible source of infection...many children were infected that way.

I thought the odds of a Hep B vaccination were low.  They only started routinely vaccinating fairly recently.

Best!
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476246 tn?1418870914
Thank you for the information. I assume that theoretically any of the other kids could have had it, or could have it, if she had it. I will ask my doctor to have them all tested.

I will tell him that I know someone who has been chronic since childhood and has never had any symptoms. You never know how they react, if you tell them that you met someone on a forum. :-)

Well, my daughter must have gotten it as a toddler or as a child playing with kids her age and then cleared. I read that 70% of children do clear it. But babies and very young children usually don't. Especially babies born to hep b positive mothers (if they contract it) have only a slight chance of clearing.

None of my children was vaccinated against hep b. The pediatricians in Indonesia did not offer the hep b vaccine to children at the time. Even though I had a very good pediatrician, who at the time was the head of the pediatrician association of Indonesia. They got all the other vaccines, they were supposed to have after plan.

Thanks again, Marcia



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Avatar universal
Yes, Marcia, it is exactly like that.  If you are infected in childhood then you are unlikely to have symptoms and you are less likely to clear the virus which means you become chronically infected.

Is it possible that she was vaccinated?

I would test the other children just to be on the safe side.  I have had chronic Hep B my entire life and I have never had any symptoms and I am 36.  Were it not for  a routine screening during my pregnancy I probably still wouldn't know.

Best wishes!
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