What is occult HBV infection (OBI)?
Acute HBV infection is self-limiting in approximately 97% of immunocompetent adults, leading to recovery and immunity. However, in 3% of cases, individuals remain chronically infected (ie, carrier state), usually testing HBsAg positive and anti-HBc positive. Some of these chronically infected individuals can have very low and/or intermittently detectable levels of HBV DNA. Upon testing, they are found to be HBsAg negative, anti-HBc positive, HBV DNA positive or negative, and anti-HBs positive or negative. This is known as occult HBV infection (OBI).
