Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg)

Hepatitis B is a blood borne virus that infects the liver. It can be spread by blood-to-blood contact, sexually and through childbirth. It is a robust and highly infectious virus and has been shown to live outside the body for at least a week.

There may be no obvious signs of infection. Some people may suffer flu-like symptoms but the virus can remain undetected and cause damage to the liver for years. The carrier will remain infectious to others. Eventually this can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, which in turn can lead to liver failure. Hepatitis B can be treated although there is no guaranteed cure, and can also be vaccinated against. Those at high risk, such as injecting drug users and sex workers should consider vaccination. Screening for Hepatitis B can demonstrate current infection, immunity or susceptibility.

ScreenSafe UK is proud to be the exclusive UK supplier of a choice of new and innovative Blood Borne Virus rapid testing cassettes including a point of care device (CE marked) for the detection of Hepatitis B surface Antigen, giving a result in minutes.

A negative result indicates there is no active virus detected at the time of the test. It may mean the donor has developed immunity either naturally, or through vaccination. It may also mean the donor has not been exposed to Hepatitis B.

A non-negative result indicates acute or chronic infection with Hepatitis B virus. A confirmatory blood sample should be sent to the laboratory.

Other Considerations

Testing for Blood Borne Viruses can create serious implications for those being tested. There is possibly lifestyle, psychological and social challenges ahead. For this reason testers may need to consider:

  1. Confidentiality and testing environment.
  2. Pre and post test advisory discussions.
  3. Pathways for the referral of non-negative donors.
  4. Supporting literature.
  5. A screening protocol.
  6. Support agency contact details.

ScreenSafe UK's team are keen to ensure that you are confident in the use of all our testing devices, and tuition/training is all part of the service. To find out more about ScreenSafe UK Blood Borne Virus testing, then please contact our friendly and professional customer service team on 08450 505590 or via email (enquiries@screensafeuk.co.uk). All enquiries are strictly confidential.

TestRite™ BBV Leaflet