Still Confused

[fireman452]

According to everything I have been able to lay my hands on - if the EIA comes back positive and then the reflex to RIBA and NATA Quantitative and Qualtitative are run and these all three come back negative the EIA is then according to the CDC considered a false positive - I found this chart and one like it on the CDC web site -
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/hepatitis/pdfs/interprethepcresults.pdf

Line seven is my case - positive EIA, reflex to RIBA negative and PCR NATA both quant and qual negative - not even a indeterminant - my EIA value was 7.9 which I know is high.  

Today I get an email from my Internist (General Practioner) and he says - After reviewing your case with another GP in my office we agree that you have most likely had exposure to the virus and have spontaneously cleared it without medication.  What I see says that I have never been exposed - I have never used intreveneous drugs, I have never had a blood transfusion, I have never done any of the things that are listed in the high exposure categories - is this just a case of a Dr. being overly careful and ignorant - not something I say lightly because I have always liked my Doc - he has been my dr for 18 years - by the way - this test was done without my requesting it and he says that it was only done because of my age group - ALL of my other blood work is well within range except that my sugar is a LITTLE high - I am 59 and I do need to deal with that but this is an entirely different thin and my ALT etc are all within normal levels - any ideas what is going on here???

[crigger]

Do you think you could have been exposed to anything on the job.  Do you do any urgent health care.  

[willbb]

I don"t think there is a general concensus per se

l Dentist could be....possibly endoscopy,  possibly colonoscopy possibly tattoo  , possibly infected persons razor or toothbrush ..possibly sharing  works for snorting or injecting drugs,possibly vertical transmission from mother,possibly sex,possibly transfusion or some other hospital procedure(surgery etc).,possibly  a physical fight with blood with an infected person.

Point is ...all of the above are possible...some very common and some very rare..but all possible.

Best.
.Will

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[sdan108]

If many people don't know how they contracted the virus what is the general consensus on how one probably could contract it? Dentist?

[1oftheclub222]

I am not saying there can't be a false positive as well, I have seen on here where people have had a false positive...either way, it doesn't sound like you are contagous...but you could still check with your doc to make sure you and we have all the facts straight....

[fireman452]

based on what everyone has said here then the reference to a "false positive" is not possible - there is no such thing as a false positive based on what you are all saying - if I test positive with the simple test and negative for the RIBA antibody test (which according to the discription is much more specific and a better test than the EIA) and negative for the RNA both qualitative and quantitative NONE of this matters - the ONLY thing that matters according to what you all are saying is that I tested positive for the EIA and do not have the virus now - so like i said the bottom line is - EIA is ALWAYS correct - never a false positive and all of the other tests are just a waste of time except to say that the virus is no long in my body - I mean the RIBA is a total waste of time because it ONLY tests for antibody and it was negative but that clearly does not matter?????

[1oftheclub222]

if you ever had the virus, the anti-body will always show up in a blood test. As I understand it, It needs to be an active virus to be transmitted to someone else.  It sounds like from your post that you had been exposed to it and cleared it by yourself, very lucky!  This would make it a non-active virus, not able to be transmitted to anyone else. You can always recheck with your doctor and have him clear things up for though, never hurts to do that...

[willbb]

On the off-chance that you were infected and possibly cleared by your own immune system(approx 25 %  chance of that ) then it is possible in that time frame  to infect others.

However remember HCV is rarely contracted from family members in the home. Your blood(if you were infected) would have had to enter the blood stream of another.
Most of us have spouses children etc. that we have been co -habituating with for decades and when they are tested test neg most of the time.

If it is of a concern,then the only way to know 100% is they should have the simple antibodies test ..

Best of luck..
Will

[fireman452]

I understand what you are saying and from a very selfish standpoint that would be all I would consider - but IF I was positive and able to pass this on to my family I need to know so that they can get tested as well - I do not want to worry everyone unnecessarily if this is a false positive - you see where I am going???

[willbb]

Whether you were exposed  to the virus or  it was a false positive  is really irrelevant at this point.
Many people have no idea how they contracted the virus .
The neg. Riba  & PCR confirms you do not have active HCV.

Congratulations.,enjoy..
Will

[fretboard]

"After reviewing your case with another GP in my office we agree that you have most likely had exposure to the virus and have spontaneously cleared it without medication."

Welcome to the forum.  The bottom line is that you had HepC but you don't anymore because you cleared it.