<prompt> A 35-year-old male patient presented with history of jaundice for 15 days. The onset was preceded by a prodromal illness. His serum tested positive for HbsAg. A clinical diagnosis of acute hepatitis B was made. What should be the next best confirmatory investigation?Anti-HbeAg antibodyHbe antigenAnti-Hbe IgM antibodyAnti-HbsAg antibody  <response>: Since IgM anti-HBcAg is not given in the choices, HBeAg, appears concurrently with or sholy after HBsAg. Its appearance coincides with high levels of virus replication reflects presence of circulating intact virions and detectable HBV DNA In self-limited HBV infections, HBeAg becomes undetectable sholy after peak elevations in aminotransferase activity, before the disappearance of HBsAg, and anti-HBe then becomes detectable, coinciding with a period of relatively lower infectivity. Its principal clinical usefulness is as an indicator of relative infectivity. 