In short
- A positive screening test needs a second test to confirm the infection is active.
- Chronic hepatitis B is usually controlled with long-term tablets, not cured.
- Hepatitis C is cured in more than 95% of people with a short course of tablets.
Why the mix-up matters
Patients often arrive having been told, or having read, that “hepatitis” is one thing. Then they are either terrified by a hepatitis C diagnosis that is very likely curable, or relaxed about a hepatitis B infection that needs lifelong attention. Knowing which virus you have changes everything about the plan.
Hepatitis B: control
Hepatitis B settles into the liver cells and, in most adults who carry it long-term, cannot be fully removed with current medicines. What can be done is to keep the virus suppressed. Some people need a daily antiviral tablet to do that; many only need a check-up every six to twelve months to make sure the virus is staying quiet and the liver is not being damaged.
The vaccine prevents it. Family members of anyone with hepatitis B should be tested and, if not already immune, vaccinated.
Hepatitis C: cure
A positive antibody test means you have met the virus. About a quarter of people clear it on their own; the rest carry it. A second test, HCV RNA, shows whether the virus is still active. If it is, a course of direct-acting antiviral tablets for 8 to 12 weeks cures more than 95% of people, according to the WHO. The side effects are generally mild. A test three months after the course confirms the cure.
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. The protection is safe needles and screened blood.
Sources
Unfamiliar term? See the liver glossary.