test Details

Hepatitis-A Disease

Hepatitis-A is an endemic disease that poses a huge problem worldwide. It is mainly a result of poor hygienic and socio-economic conditions, wherein the chances of the spread of the virus through various routes, mostly faecal-oral routes, is high.

What is the HAV IgG test?

The HAV IgG test is conducted to look for IgG-type of antibodies in your blood if there is cause to believe that there has been a recent Hepatitis-A infection. Antibodies are substances that are produced by the body if there has been a recent infection. Antibodies are protective.

Hepatitis-A may be measured by a few different tests. Generally, Hepatitis-A testing looks for two antibodies in the blood. These are IgG and IgM antibodies. IgM antibodies show up in the blood about two weeks after the infection first occurs, and are detectable for around six months after the infection.

The Hepatitis-A IgG antibody appears in the blood much later in the course of the disease. These antibodies persist in the human body throughout the lifespan of the individual and provide lifetime immunity against the disease in the future.

Viral Hep-A antibodies (IgG) type appear in the blood during the convalescence period, that is, the period during which the patient is recovering from the disease. During this time, this antibody is the predominant one in the serum.

In most cases, rather than measuring HAV IgG antibodies individually, IgG, IgM and IgA classes are generally measured together. This test serves as a screening test for Hepatitis-A infection.

Symptoms of Hepatitis-A infection include the following:

• Abdominal pain
• Dark coloured urine
• Grey coloured stools
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Itching
• Joint pain
• Anorexia (loss of appetite)
• Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Fatigue or extreme tiredness or weakness

Why is it prescribed?

This test is prescribed when an individual shows symptoms such as stomach pain, jaundice, cramping in the abdomen, fever, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and pain in the joints.

It may also be ordered if you have been previously infected with or exposed to the Hepatitis-A virus.

Exposure to the virus occurs mostly via the faecal-oral route due to poor sanitary conditions and through contamination of food and water.

The Hepatitis-A IgG test is used to detect past Hepatitis-A infections, and may sometimes be used to determine if a person has developed immunity from a previous infection or vaccination.

The endemic of viral Hepatitis-A is a major cause for concern in India. It is commonly encountered during childhood in developing or underdeveloped areas due to poor hygienic conditions. The majority of the children, that is, around 85% of children under the age of 2 years, and 50% in the age category between 2 and 5 years are infected with this disease.

With an increase in age, the severity of this disease increases. There are more cases of fatality in the Indian population in the older age groups, around 50 years of age (1.8%). In young adults, fatal cases comprise around 0.3%. This calls for a need to get tested to figure out if one is exposed to such viruses.

The HAV IgG Test is also referred to as

• Anti-HAV IgG
• Anti-Hepatitis A IgG
• HAVAB-G
• Hepatitis A IgG Antibody
• Hepatitis A IgG
• HAIGG

What does this test measure and who is this test prescribed for?

This test checks for IgG antibodies to check exposure to Hepatitis A. Your doctor or healthcare provider might prescribe you this test under the following conditions:

• If you are a healthcare provider this may put you at a moderate to high risk of acquiring this disease.
• If you have recently travelled to a country or region with poor socio-economic conditions where good hygiene protocols are not maintained, and the region has high rates of Hepatitis-A infection.
• If you have recently consumed contaminated food or water.
• If you have recently come into close contact with a person who has an HAV infection.
• Sharing of needles for intravenous drug use.
• Unprotected sexual contact.
• If you have HIV.
• If you have a blood clotting disorder (for example, Hemophilia).

Negative Result

This particular assay measures the concentration of IgG antibodies. A negative result of the HAV IgG test indicates that HAV-specific antibodies are not present in the serum, which implies the following:

1. Absence of a current infection
2. No past exposure to the virus
3. No previously acquired immunity to HAV

Positive Result

This particular assay measures the concentration of IgG antibodies. A positive result of the HAV IgG test indicates that HAV-specific antibodies are present in the serum, which implies the following:

1. Presence of a current infection
2. Past exposure to the virus
3. Previously acquired immunity to HAV

• Positive HAV IgG with negative IgM usually indicates that an active infection is not present, but there have been previous exposure to the hepatitis A virus or recent vaccination has been performed.
• Negative HAV IgG usually signifies that there is no current or previous HAV infection.
• If the total antibody test or hepatitis A IgG result is positive and the individual has never been vaccinated against HAV, then it means that the person has had past exposure to the virus. An estimate of about 30% of adults over the age of 40 has antibodies to hepatitis A.

A sample of blood is withdrawn for this test.

During the drawing of blood, a healthcare provider will take a sample of blood from a vein in the patient’s arm. After locating an appropriate vein and cleaning the collection site with a cotton swab, a small needle is inserted into the vein, and blood is collected in a container or vial. This procedure usually takes less than five minutes.

Test Preparation

Generally, no special preparation for the test is required.

Test inclusions: What parameters are included?

The HAV IgG test includes the following parameters:

It includes the demonstration of previous exposure to the Hepatitis-A virus.

The test is an assay showing the IgG antibodies that the body produces in response to the infection.

The antibodies are reported as one of the following:

1. Positive
2. Negative
3. Equivocal

The HAV IgG and HAV IgM assays are measured together.

How frequently should you take this test?

The Hepatitis-A IgG test is not done routinely. It is only ordered by a doctor whenever there is a reason to believe that there has been a Hepatitis infection in the patient.