Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
This is a little tricky one because post vaccination with hepatitis b vaccine, the level of immunity differs, and some individuals may not need booster for the next 10 years, and for some the antibodies come down significantly within 5 years. So if the wife has recently taken a booster vaccine, then there should not be a reason to worry for the next 5 years at least. But after that the situation needs to be reviewed.
It is better to use condoms while intercourse if not planning for a baby, just to take precautions.
Does the husband have any symptoms? When was he diagnosed?
Feel free to discuss further,
Regards.
Patient replied :
No symptoms in husband. Diagnosed incidentally during blood donation 6 year back. He is hbeag negative and left are within normal limits.
Hello,
Thank you for the follow up.
If HbeAg is negative, that shows the infectivity is low, hence as of now there is no risk of transmission.
But do get his HbsAg and HbeAg status checked every 6 months, just to make sure the infection is not active.
Regards.
Patient replied :
Should I do his anti--hbe status and wife's hbsag titre. What should be the hbsag titre for protection agaist infection? If husband's hbeag positive then should we start him on anti-viral drugs. What is possibility that he is cured of infection?
Hello,
Yes you can get those tests done.
For the person to be immunised ( for the wife ) the recommended anti hbsag titre is (Anti-HBs: = 10 mIU/ml).
Anything below that will make her vulnerable towards the infection.
Unfortunately antiviral drugs have not worked well on hepatitis and it is a sefl resolving infection, where the infection settles down over a period of time. The relapses depend on the general immunity. Again cure is not possible with hepatitis b.
Regards.