- Hepatitis B test
- HBsAg, a simple blood test. Vaccination prevents infection.
- Hepatitis C test
- An antibody test first. A second test confirms the virus is still present.
- Why people miss it
- Chronic infection is often silent until scarring or cancer appears.
- Where
- Liver assessment with Dr Ajay Shesherao Shinde in Secunderabad.
India has a national viral hepatitis programme because these infections are common enough, and silent enough, to matter in ordinary clinics. You cannot tell hepatitis B from hepatitis C, or either of them from fatty liver, by how you feel. The blood test decides.
How are B and C different?
| Hepatitis B | Hepatitis C | |
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Blood, sex, and from mother to baby at birth | Mainly blood, including unsafe injections and transfusion before screening was routine |
| Vaccine | Yes. Three doses protect most people | No vaccine |
| Treatment | Some people need long-term antiviral tablets to control the virus. It is often controlled rather than fully cleared | Most current infections can be cured with a short course of direct-acting antivirals |
| If ignored | Cirrhosis and liver cancer remain possible | The same, which is why cure is worth confirming |
Who should ask for a test?
- A parent, partner, or household contact with hepatitis B or C
- Abnormal liver enzymes on a health check, or a fatty liver scan that has not been explained
- Blood transfusion or surgery in years when screening was less reliable, dialysis, or repeated unsafe injections
- Pregnant women, who are offered hepatitis B testing so the newborn can be protected
- Anyone starting treatment that suppresses immunity, after a doctor asks for it
Jaundice, a swollen abdomen, vomiting blood, or confusion are late signs. They need urgent care, not a routine blood-test slot. Earlier liver disease is covered on the liver diseases page.
What does a positive result mean?
A positive hepatitis B surface antigen means the virus is present. Further tests show how active it is and whether the liver is scarred. Not everyone starts tablets on day one. A positive hepatitis C antibody means you met the virus. A second test, looking for viral genetic material, shows whether it is still there. Only that second result decides treatment.
Do not start, stop, or share antiviral tablets. The drug and the length of treatment depend on the virus type and your liver. Bring the actual report, not a WhatsApp photo of the word positive.
How do families reduce spread?
Household contacts of someone with hepatitis B should be tested and vaccinated if they are not immune. Do not share razors, toothbrushes, or needles. Hepatitis C is not spread by sharing meals. Cover open cuts. Alcohol adds a second injury to a liver that already carries a virus, so it is worth stopping while results are sorted.
Testing and follow-up in Secunderabad
Dr Ajay Shesherao Shinde, gastroenterologist and liver specialist at Medicover Hospital, Secunderabad, reads these reports and arranges the next blood tests or a scan when scarring must be checked. Call +91 98901 05648 or book online. Bring every old liver report.
Common questions
Can hepatitis B or C cause no symptoms?
Yes. Chronic infection often causes none until the liver is scarred. That is why a blood test is used instead of waiting for jaundice.
Does a positive hepatitis C antibody mean I still have the virus?
Not always. The antibody can stay after the virus has gone. A second test confirms whether infection is still present and whether treatment is needed.
Is there a vaccine?
Hepatitis B has an effective vaccine. Hepatitis C does not. Adults who are not immune, especially family contacts of a person with hepatitis B, should ask about vaccination.
Can hepatitis C be cured?
Most people with current hepatitis C can be cured with a prescribed course of direct-acting antiviral tablets. The exact medicine is chosen after the confirmatory test.
Who reads hepatitis reports in Secunderabad?
Dr Ajay Shesherao Shinde, a gastroenterologist and liver specialist at Medicover Hospital, Secunderabad. Call +91 98901 05648.
Related reading from the clinic
This article is general education from the clinic of Dr Ajay Shesherao Shinde in Secunderabad, Hyderabad. It does not diagnose a condition or replace a personal consultation. Seek urgent care for severe pain, vomiting blood, black stools, chest pain, fever with jaundice, or confusion.