Hep C Scare? and Joining the army!

[hegs]

Hey people so I applied to join the army. As you can see why im here

7 Months ago i joined up, 3 weeks into the process got my blood test done. It came back Hep c Positive.

So they told me to get futhur testing, I got about 12 test done - 7 PCRS all come back negative for the infection in my blood, the only thing that remained was the anti bodies, ive also had ultra sounds. - currently waiting on riba tests.. also seen two specialists, gastronologist and a infectious disease specialist whos is connected with the army. who said its either a false positive or ive had contact with the disease but the body fought it off therefore im no risk.

So i wait for 5 weeks they get back to me saying I am still Hep c positive

What the hell? So they said i can appeal again which i will and if i get a no I will take it higher once again, till i win.

Im not sure what they are thinking any help would be great





Also a letter from my infectious disease specialist.


i refer to this applicant for entry into the Australian regular army


i note that pre-recruitment screening for hepatitis c shows a positive result thought two different methodologies at Queensland medical Laboratories and a positive result at Sullivan nicoladies which was not confirmed by murex assay.

subsequent to these discordant results mr hegarty had has four pcr assay split between both labratotires

there are two alternative explanations for this situation

1. either the hepatitis c antibody discordant results are false positive results and i think this is the most likely explanation

2 the alternative explanation is hepatitis c antibody results shows orevious expsoure to hep c but no active infection at present

the patient has no risk factor for hep c. I think the former explanation that these are false positive results is more likely, but the latter cannot be excluded, either way, under the current defense force regulations, and regardless of  potiental aruguments in relation to re-activation in circumstances of immunosuppresion or re-infection, mr hegarty has no hep c virus in the blood therefor in myview no barrier to his recruitment.

[fretboard]

From your complete explanation you do not have HepC.  The army is using the incorrect verbiage to tell you that you are still HepC positive.  You are testing positive for HepC because you were once exposed, that is all.  You will forever test positive for the Hep C antibodies and some situations will still say you are HepC positive.  There's nothing you can do to change that.  

With they still take you continue to test positive for antibodies?

[hegs]

So the army sent me a letter saying im still hep C positive.

They said i can appeal! which i will - this week i got my riba test coming in, and today i had every hep c test you can. and specialist wenesday!

Any help would be great :)

[hegs]

Hey bill, yep confirmed 7 PCR RNA tests. I had also 4 murex test - negative, I was told murex is another form at riba but not as sensitive.


But positive for antibodies. xD

[Bill1954]

ELISA is an acronym for ‘enzyme linked immunosorbent assay’; this is probably the methodology used for your antibody tests. The RIBA is a test that will confirm the exposure; however, the one that really matters through all this is the HCV RNA PCR test; this is the one that measures whether or not the active virus is actually in your blood or not. At this point, the other tests really don’t make much difference in terms of active infection. I'm unfamiliar with Murex.

Bill

[hegs]

Also a questions what is a murex test or called Elisa i belive?

[portann]

And Hegs, you're NOT hoping for a false positive next Wednesday. You're hoping for a negative, which will mean you have no antibodies.

It's a little confusing but negative is good, positive is bad.

Let us know how it goes.