Hep C

[Izzi1968]

Hi, only just found this site, which is very informative. I'm trying to find out as much information as I can. My daughter found out through a routine blood test for a new job that she was had contracted Hep C, she is 21 and just qualified to be a midwife.She has had a long term partner for 5 years and the only way she thinks that she could of contracted this is through her training. Anyway, she then went on to have a further test and was relived to be told that she was one of the lucky ones and had cleared the virus naturally. WE all breathed a hugh sigh of relief, however 3 months later she was called back for more blood tests, the result came back positive which we knew it would as she has the antibodies and always will have (think i'm correct) they have now taken more bloods and she is awaiting the result but it takes 10 days, she is now beside herself...why has a further test been required if 3 months ago she was told she had fought this off herself.....sorry i'm so confussed ..?  

[Izzi1968]

Thanks Will for your quick response. During the last 3 months she has not been in contact with any more blood i.e.not delivered any more babies, but i think it is just protacol that she has to have another test after 3 months. I'm keeping everything crossed for her, as she is so scared that if it were to be positive that she would not be able to carry on working as a midwife, which after 3 long years of training would be such a hugh blow to her....life can be very unfair :-((

[willbb]

Hi..yes you are correct in assuming that once one has been exposed to HCV they will test positive for "antibodies ' for life.

When she had the further testing ,(and I imagine this was the a definitive test ,the HCV/RNA by PCR)  it showed "negative either because she was one of the lucky 20-30%  that fought off the virus on their own or was possibly a false positive antibodies result.

If they felt it was because she was exposed and fought off the virus there was no reason to run another antibodies test as this would always be "positive" and I don't understand the reasoning for doing another PCR ,unless there was some time frame factor that they thought the first test had not had time to detect  a very recent exposure.

Hopefully the follow up testing will turn out to be Negative  also...let us know and welcome to the group..

Will