Q: I have tested positive for hepatitis B during job screening. My age is 40 years and am employed with the shipping industry, sailing on board ships. Due to this detection, have been declared medically unfit, probable causes not known as never shared razor blades or take drugs or had any blood transfusion. Have no history of womanising. Please advise treatment and also if after the treatment will I test negative as have no other job opportunity. Physically have no problems. During sonography mild fat deposit also observed in the liver. I have to test negative and advise what would be the duration of treatment. Consulted a doctor who says since it is in early stages, it should be cured in 6 months. Would like to test negative as early as possible to enable re-employment.

A:The main question is whether you have just acquired Hepatitis B and are still infective or if you have had it all your life (the usual way that most people get it). If you have just acquired it and have got the e Antigen of Hepatitis B - then this is infective to other people via your blood or sexual transmission. This may or might not require treatment - depending on your other liver blood tests. If on the other hand you are only Hepatitis B antibody positive (HB surface antigen positive, surface antibody positive, e antigen negative and HBV DNA negative) then you probably acquired from your mother at birth (this is the major route of transmission around the world )- and have a very low risk of transmitting it to others. I think you should ask your doctor and the Company doctor for advice - they may have rules about this. Hope this has been useful.