What type of hepatitis typically does not show up on blood work?

Hepatitis C is often referred to as a silent infection because many individuals do not exhibit symptoms for years and it might not show up on standard blood work immediately after infection. In many cases, the virus can remain undetected for a long time, and the initial tests may not capture the presence of the virus or antibodies, especially if the test is done too early after exposure. The acute phase of Hepatitis C can involve a period during which antibodies are not yet produced, a window where the infection would not be detectable in standard serological tests.

This characteristic of Hepatitis C, alongside its potential for chronic infection without early symptoms, leads to a commonly overlooked diagnosis in blood work, differentiating it from other types of hepatitis, which can typically be detected through available serological markers shortly after infection.