The present invention relates to an improved method for detecting antibodies to a hepatitis virus in a tissue sample from individuals, which can reliably detect antibodies in recently infected individuals and which provides much lower false positive results in individuals that have cleared their hepatitis infections. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and kit which utilizes an activator of (i) hepatitis virus-primed lymphocytes, (ii) memory cells specific for said hepatitis virus, (iii) hepatitis virus-specific antibody production, or (iv) a combination thereof in a tissue sample to stimulate the production of antibodies from newly primed B cells, if present.