Hello,

I have heard people speaking about how 2 people infected with hepatitis could infect each other with different strains of the virus. I was concerned that someone vacinated for Hep B could possibly contract another stain of the HBV virus, from the one that they are vacinated for, from their partner.

I have also heard people discouraging hepatitis patients from finding someone like themselves to share their life because of the possiblitiy of cross infection. I can very much understand how someone would like to find someone like themselves because a person with hepatitis feels like they are damgage goods. Finding someone with a like problem would certainly comfort those feelings.

I posed the question to the Yale School of Medicine's Liver Studies team. They say that there is only 1 hepatitis B virus. You can only be infected with one. If you are vaccinated for HBV (and acquire the antibody , you will not get any strain of HBV. I have the HBV E antigen (sounds like a certain flavor to me).

HCV is different. You could get a different stain of the virus than the one you have or have protection against.

Just wondering if I have it right?

Still struggling after 12 years of medical information,

John
(HBV carrier and Ustawas HCV infected)

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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil

[This message has been edited by LOST1 (edited 04-10-2003).]

Howdy Ustawas-
First welcome to the board, hope to hear more from you, and with 12 years of medical info, you probably have a lot to share.

To answer your question simply, Hepatitis A + B [HCA+HCB] have only one known infectious strain, which can AND should be Vaccinated for by everyone, especially anyone with HCV.

HCV on the other hand, has many strains [over a known dozen] If you beat one, you still can get another, people in high risk groups, [intravenous street drug use] can get more than one strain.

There is no "vaccine" for HCV, but there are treatments, harsh for some, some strains resound well to these treatments, while others such as geno-type 1A which is a dominant strain in north America are hard to treat with a fifty fifty chance at best.
Be Positive, Be Well+



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--Get Outdoors-Enjoy Life----Neil