just found hep c test positive

[karishmapandya]

hey my brother just 2 week back found his hep c test positive, actually he donated a blood to some blood bank n after 2 weeks he got a letter from that blood bank that his blood was found positive for hep c. n he should never donate a blood for a life time. n he should visit any MD doctor.but yet his cells are not active.
   so i want to know wat does that mean. n how much period it takes to get active in a persons body. pls pls ans me as fast as possible . m very curious to know it

[karishmapandya]

hey my brother just 2 week back found his hep c test positive, actually he donated a blood to some blood bank n after 2 weeks he got a letter from that blood bank that his blood was found positive for hep c. n he should never donate a blood for a life time. n he should visit any MD doctor.but yet his cells are not active.
   so i want to know wat does that mean. n how much period it takes to get active in a persons body. pls pls ans me as fast as possible . m very curious to know it
Modify message

[Jo-Anne Hiscock]

Karishmapandya:

I would suggest your brother get to his Dr. as soon as possible.  He should request that his Dr. get him in touch with a Hepatitis (Hepatic Specialist)  These are the Doctors who know the most about this disease and deal with it on a daily basis.  Do not panic.  Many of us have had Hepatits C for many years.  Your brother does have to be very careful about many things.  He can learn all about it from the Specialist and probably a bit from his General Practicioner.  although the General Practitioner is not versed in the ins and outs of this disease.  If  your brother does not have a Family Dr. then he should make a phone call to Public Health office in his city.  There is  a site
named Catie.  You can get quite a bit of information there but it is still important for him to have a Heptitis C Specialist.  Please do not hesitate to get to the Dr.  If your brother is a smoker, drinker or takes drugs of any kind it would be a good idea to stop now.  Hepatitis C is caused by passing tainted blood to a person.  One can get it from blood transfusions as I did.  Tattoos (either tainted needles or tainted ink), any contact with tainted blood if he had an open wound and somehow the tainted blood entered the site.   He could get it if he shared needles or drug paraphenalia which had been used by someone with Hep C  and on which there was hep c tainted blood even though it could not be seen.  He should not sh are razors or thoothbrushes or any other thing with someone who has Hep C. 

Please get your brother to a Dr. as soon as you can in order to eliminate your stress and worry.  Many of us have lived with this disease for years because we recieved the benefit of a Knowledgable Specialist.

I got this disease in 1973 and am now 77 years of age.  I am waiting for the Harvoni cure because my condition has progressed over the years.

My best to you and your brother.  Please get him help and information.  Having hep c does not mean he is going to die right away but he does need to get understanding of the disease.  J. Hiscock

[Mugwump]

The blood test done by blood banks is not a confirmation that your brother is HCV active. All it means is that there was an exposure to the virus. It is very common to test positive for HCV antibodies.

The next step is the important one. A viral rna test that will determine if the virus is circulating in the blood. This should be done in combination with a full liver panel to determine if the virus is active and your brother is infected and at what stage.

It is entirely possible that he is not infected and has either cleared the virus spontaneously or the initial contact only triggered an immune response and not a full infection.

It is normal for there to be confusion and the only way to ascertain whether or not the individual is infected is to do the tests that I mentioned. If he has a viral load in the blood then he is infected. I am cleared of the virus but will always test positive for antibodies and cannot donate blood because anyone who tests positive for antibodies to HCV is ruled out of the system.

Hope this clears up the situation

Regards Eric