A 2 month old baby with acute viral hepatitis like illness slips into encephalopathy after 48 hours. The mother is a known hepatitis B carrier Mother's hepatitis B virus serological profile is most likely to be:

(B) HbsAg and HbeAg positive # This patient has developed a fulminant form of disease after acquiring an Hepatitis B infection from the mother who is known to be a hepatitis carrier.> HbsAg and HbeAg positive as mothers with this profile are most likely to transmit the disease to their infants.> Remember: The major predictor for transmission is the amount of HbV in the maternal circulation. Although HBV DNA positivity should also be an important indicator of vertical transmission.