Who should be screened for hepatitis B?

• Anyone born in an HBV endemic area where chronic hepatitis B infection > 2%. Essentially, anyone born outside of North America or Northern Europe (see map)
• Anyone born in Canada, not vaccinated at birth but whose parents were born in areas with high HBV endemicity (>8%)
• Injection drug users
• Persons who have multiple (>10 lifetime) sexual partners
• Persons needing immunosuppressive therapy, including chemotherapy, immunosuppression related to organ transplantation, and immunosuppression for rheumatologic or gastroenterologic disorders
• Immunosuppression can dangerous for HBsAg positive individuals
• Allogeneic bone marrow transplant or anti-CD20 (Rituximab) therapy can make hepatitis B come back in those who had previously cleared infection (HBsAg negative but anti-HBc positive)
• Persons with elevated ALT/AST of unknown etiology
• Donors of blood, plasma, organs, tissues, or semen
• Hemodialysis patients
• All pregnant women
• Infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers after age 18 months

Click here to learn how to screen someone for hepatitis B