The laboratory performs confirmatory and specialised serological
testing for hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E infection.
Confirmatory testing for HBsAg is carried out by antibody neutralisation.
This procedure is needed to exclude the possibility of false positive
reactions in surface antigen screening assays.
The laboratory performs quantitative testing for HBV DNA.
Although there is presently no accepted gold standard confirmatory
test for HCV antibody, at VIDRL all specimens reactive in the
EIA screening test are re-tested in a second assay, chosen to
minimise non-specific cross reactivity.
VIDRL is the only laboratory in Victoria which performs testing
for hepatitis D (delta) and hepatitis E infections.
