Positive For Hepatitis C Antibodies; From Air Injectors?

[Vync]

Hello everyone,

I just got a letter in the mail and don't quite know what to make of it. Hopefully you guys can help.

For the first time in my life I gave blood. I was always denied because I lived in Europe during the early 1990's, during the BSE/Mad Cow Disease time period. They recently relaxed that restriction to people living there for four or more years during a certain time period, but I lived there only 3.5 years during that time. The first time I gave blood was about three months ago and then again a couple of weeks ago. Today, I get a letter in the mail from the organization where I gave blood. This is what it says:

Test Results

Your blood tested repeatedly reactive using the ABBOTT PRISM HCV assay, a chemiluminescent immunoassay (ChLIA) for the qualitative detection of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). However, a second similar test, the Ortho HCV 3.0 EIA, an Enzyme Immuno Assay (EIA) and the detect virus detection method (nucleic amplification test - NAT) were both negative.

The test for which you had a positive result is not used to diagnose any infections. It can be positive for many reasons unrelated to your health. Diagnostic testing at a doctor's office would in most likelihood show that you have no infection. Unless you have specific risk factors, we do not recommend that you obtain additional testing from a doctor's office.

Then they go on to say that I cannot donate any more blood for at least six months, and then I would have to also have to test negative to ChLIA too.

I thought to myself about risk factors:

- Never used drugs

- No tattoos

- No piercings

- Mother and father are both negative to HCV

- Married more than once

- No STD history

- Had several surgical procedures (one in the military), but never administered any blood

- Was given only the first of three Hepatitis C vaccine shots. Did not need the other two because I was transferred and never deployed to combat

- When taking cholesterol-reducing statins, like Lipitor, it jacked up my liver and I had to stop taking them

- Never previously tested positive for HCV, but don't think I was ever tested for HCV antibodies

Then I thought back to something I read on here a while back. What about the immunization auto-injectors when I joined the military? In 1990, I was processed in at the MEPS center at Maxwell AFB, AL, and went to Basic Training at Ft. Jackson, SC. I would have to dig through my records to be sure where, but I remember us walking down the assembly line and getting immunization after immunization with those air injector guns and having blood drooling down my arm just like everyone else ahead and behind me.

Should I go to the doctor and get further testing?

I'm already 100% P&T. If I do end up being confirmed positive, would there be any benefits of filing a claim for it?

Thanks

[FormerMember]

Sadly, a lot of Vets got this from IVDU. Not most but a lot. I would guess at least 30% or more. I'd say 30% don't have a clue where they contracted it. The other 40% are legitimate tattoo, STD, combat blood exposure or transfusion. Remember the haircuts with the white wall? The blue juice jar behind the barber on the ledge in front of the mirror? The unsanitary one? Just one recruit with a nick and some blood would be all it took. We are having some success with those claims but it is tedious work. Most occur at the BVA. ROs won't touch these things with a ten foot fork.

Trust me when I say VA will get the new drug Sofosbuvir about 2016. They are still inveigling naive Vets in to do the Interferon/Teleprevir/ Ribavirin three drug cocktail even those they know it's poison and a 57-62% cure rate. They must have gotten a special on it and are trying to run out their stocks. Only at the VA. Best of luck, sir.

Edited August 30, 2013 by asknod

[Vync]

The tests results came back. There were zero traces of active HCV, but they said I will carry the antibodies forever. However, if exposed again in the future, there is no guarantee that it will end with good news.

I feel like a cat that had nine lives, but just spent one of them.