Hepatitis Panel: What It Tests and Who Should Get Screened

Written by Kristy Beard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C — Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Founder of Elevate Health and Wellness, serving patients across the Gulf Coast in Gautier, MS and Foley, AL.

The Silent Epidemic of Viral Hepatitis

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are among the most consequential infectious diseases affecting American adults — yet both are frequently undiagnosed for years or decades because they produce no symptoms during the chronic phase. The CDC estimates that approximately 862,000 Americans have chronic hepatitis B and 2.4 million have chronic hepatitis C — with a significant proportion unaware of their infection. Over time, untreated chronic hepatitis B and C cause progressive liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma — the most rapidly increasing cancer in the United States. The tragedy is that both conditions are now highly manageable or curable with modern antiviral therapy when identified early.

What a Hepatitis Panel Includes

A standard hepatitis panel at Elevate Health and Wellness evaluates hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) — which indicates active hepatitis B infection when positive; hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) — which indicates immunity from prior vaccination or resolved infection; hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) — which indicates prior exposure regardless of current infection status; and hepatitis C antibody (HCV Ab) — which screens for prior or current hepatitis C exposure. A positive hepatitis C antibody is followed by a confirmatory hepatitis C RNA (viral load) test to determine whether active infection is present, as some patients clear HCV spontaneously after acute infection.

Who Should Get a Hepatitis Panel

The CDC and US Preventive Services Task Force recommend hepatitis C screening for all adults aged 18 to 79 at least once in their lifetime — regardless of risk factors — based on the high prevalence of undiagnosed infection and the availability of curative treatment. Hepatitis B screening is recommended for adults at elevated risk including those born in countries with HBV prevalence above 2%, unvaccinated adults, those with multiple sexual partners, people who inject drugs, and household contacts of HBV-infected individuals. At Elevate, hepatitis screening is offered as part of comprehensive annual lab panels and is prioritized for patients in high-risk groups.

Hepatitis B Vaccination: Are You Protected?

Hepatitis B is vaccine-preventable — the three-dose HBV vaccine series produces protective antibody levels in approximately 90 to 95% of healthy adults. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) now recommends hepatitis B vaccination for all adults through age 59, and for adults 60 and older based on individual risk assessment and preference. At Elevate, vaccination status is reviewed at preventive care visits, and titer testing is available to confirm immunity in patients whose vaccination history is uncertain or who are in high-risk occupational settings.

Want to know your hepatitis status? Learn about our comprehensive lab and testing services at Elevate in Gautier, MS and Foley, AL.

Sources: CDC. Viral Hepatitis Statistics. cdc.gov. | US Preventive Services Task Force. Hepatitis C Screening. uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org.

This article is written by Kristy Beard, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and founder of Elevate Health and Wellness. Information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a licensed healthcare provider for personalized care.