. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a highly contagious virus that infects the liver, causing inflammation and potentially leading to chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.
. It is transmitted through contact with infected blood, sexual contact, sharing needles, from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth, and through contaminated medical equipment or blood transfusions.
. Symptoms of HBV infection include fatigue, jaundice, dark urine, pale stools, abdominal pain, and nausea, although many infections, especially in early stages, are asymptomatic.
. This Alinity i HBsAg assay should be used to quantify only previously determined reactive (positive) samples. The testing algorithm for this assay is compatible with its use as a biomarker for the prognosis and monitoring the response to therapy in cases of chronic HBV, not for screening.