However, this can only determine the current hepatitis B infection but not the size of the virus. If you want to further determine the size of the virus, you can do a quantitative hepatitis B DNA test. In addition, if only the first and fifth items of the single test are positive, it is not possible to determine whether the infection is acute or chronic. If you have had a positive hepatitis B surface antigen test before and it is greater than six months, you are considered to have a chronic infection. If you have previously been determined to be negative and suddenly appear to be positive for surface antigen, you are considered to have an acute hepatitis B infection. In a chronic hepatitis B infection, the first and fifth positive items suggest a lesser second positive state, a more unstable intermediate state, which may transform to a lesser third positive or a greater third positive.