Hepatitis A Antibody Blood Test, Total

What is the purpose of this test?

Order this Hepatitis A Antibody Blood Test, Total, which detects both IgM and IgG antibodies to help diagnose hepatitis A and assess whether an individual has immunity to this disease. Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Inflammation is swelling that happens when body tissues are injured or infected. This swelling and damage can affect how well the liver functions. Hepatitis A is a type of viral hepatitis. It causes an acute or short-term infection. This means that individuals usually get better without treatment after a few weeks.

Hepatitis A is contagious and is spread through fecal-oral transmission, which means that a person contracts the disease when they ingest traces of the feces, also called stool, of a person infected with hepatitis A. Most often, transmission of hepatitis A occurs through consuming unwashed food or water that has been contaminated.

When should I order a Hepatitis A Antibody Blood Test, Total?

Individuals may order this test if they have experienced symptoms related to acute viral hepatitis. Common signs or symptoms of acute viral hepatitis, such as Hepatitis A, include:

• Abdominal pain
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Swollen blood vessels in the skin or 
• Yellowed skin and eyes
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored bowel movements
• Joint pain

Individuals are advised to contact their healthcare provider for further questions regarding test results.