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.

[apache1]

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letter from my infectious disease specialist.

2 the alternative explanation is hepatitis c antibody results shows orevious expsoure to hep c but no ***active*** infection at present
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An infectious disease specialist should know better.
no ***active*** infection at present.
This terminology is used for  hep B, no such thing as active/inactive hep C.
This #2 sentence is probably raising flags with your recruitment.
Plus it is unusual in a letter that a Dr would misspell exposure and obvious...was this a cut and paste or your own interpretation of the letter?

Anyhow, if you test negative on a very sensitive viral load test, you do not have HCV period. You either have Hep C or you don't.
IMO, no need to put "no ***active*** infection at present." in a letter trying to explain why you don't have hcv and should be recruited.

All thats needed is and is 100% true is,  'no infection at present'

Go to a hepatologist and get a proper letter that explains it correctly without the scare factor of active/inactive stigma over your head.

you

[hegs]

am i one of the lucky ones to get rid of it by myself?

[hegs]

That would be correct, I have no viral load and yes i have 7 PCR-RNA, I have no hep c only hep c antibodies. Both labs showed NEG results. And one neg for murex.

Sorta of confused as they are still saying no..

[Lauma]

In Australia you are not allowed to join the armed forces if you are HCV positive.  Not sure what the reasoning is behind it. It could be due to the potential risk of passing on the virus if you are injured during combat.

[portann]

Hegs: "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."

Could you check what you wrote above? It seems to me the result from Queensland Lab would say negative in order to be discordant with the Sullivan Lab.

According to the conclusion, you do not have HCV. You say you had seven PCR tests for virus, all negative and those are definitive tests, unlike the antibody tests. (Are you sure there were seven PCR's?!)

The antibody tests can be false positive and are only pre-tests to find out if you actually have the virus. The PCR's say you don't, so you don't and therefore the recommendation is that there is no barrier to your recruitiment.

I didn't know there was a barrier to recruitment if you have HCV.

Several people here contracted HCV during their time in the military.

[hegs]

Also came back with no viral load what so ever.