false positive Hepatitis C

[rdjkinsey]

I used to donate plasma on a regular basis. One day they did the Hepatitis panel as routine and it came back positive. I did not participate in any of the risky behaviors that could have given me Hep C. As a result of the false positive I can no longer donate plasma or blood. Can I take my name off the Do Not Donate list somehow?

[pooh55811]

"One day they did the Hepatitis panel as routine and it came back positive."

This would most likely have been the antibody test that was positive. Having a positive antibody means you have been exposed to Hepatitis C. Were you retested to see if it was a false positive?

If the second test came back positive, were you tested for the Hepatitis C RNA to see if you were just exposed at some point or if you have Chronic Hepatitis C?

If you had a positive antibody test you would need a Hepatitis C RNA to determine if you have chronic Hep C. Otherwise you would not know if you were exposed and fought it off on your own or if you have the disease.


"I did not participate in any of the risky behaviors that could have given me Hep C."

I don't know which risky behaviors you are talking about but here are some of the ways Hepatitis C can be transmitted:
Occupational exposure via needle sticks, sharps, instruments
Blood transfusions
Blood products (Gamma Globulin, Rhogam, platelets, plasma, etc.)
Surgery
Dental procedures
Acupuncture
Piercing (ears, etc.)
Tattoos
Nail salons
Mother to Baby
Sharing razors, toothbrush, nail clippers
Sex (in rare instances)
Dirty needles or dirty drug use equipment

http://www.epidemic.org/theFacts/hepatitisC/transmission/


"Can I take my name off the Do Not Donate list somehow?"

From CDC:

Can I donate blood, organs, or semen if I have Hepatitis C?

No, if you ever tested positive for the Hepatitis C virus (or Hepatitis B virus), experts recommend never donating blood, organs, or semen because this can spread the infection to the recipient.

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/c/cfaq.htm

[ceanothus]

I just want to reinforce some of Pooh's comments. Many people get Hepatitis C without having ever participated in known risky behaviors. Of those who are exposed to the virus, all will develop antibodies and in about 20% of those people the antibodies will be sufficient at overcoming the virus. The other 80% will go on to develop chronic Hepatitis C. An HCV PCR test (looking for actual viral RNA in your blood) is required to determine whether the virus was overcome or has become chronic. In either of these cases one can no longer donate blood, however one can still be an organ donor to other Hepatitis C patients, and this can be a real lifesaver for someone with HCV. There is also one last possibility to consider: every now and then the blood labs do make a mistake. If you think this may be the case you should ask for additional testing. Best wishes!

[Idyllic]

I am guessing you are classified as a deferred donor and are not eligible to donate blood anywhere. There is a series of re-tests you can go through to see if you are eligible to donate blood again.

It is from the Blood Bank Guy Blog. This guy explains the re-entry testing for a donor that had a previous reactive test for Hepatitis C virus (HCV) as well as various other testing results.

The link he provides in the article (FDA Guidance for Industry & NAT for HIV & HCV) is very cumbersome. It is this:
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/BiologicsBloodVaccines/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/Blood/UCM210270.pdf

The article outlines "re-entry testing," or the testing and results a donor would need to ever be considered to be eligible to donate blood again.

http://bbguy.blogspot.com/2011/01/hepatitis-c-testing.html