The following hepatitis B testing results indicate:

The correct answer indicates that the infection has been cleared, which typically means that the person's immune system has successfully eliminated the hepatitis B virus. Clear infection is often determined by the presence of antibodies to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) without the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood.

For clarification, in cases of acute infection, HBsAg would be present along with anti-HBc IgM, which indicates an active infection. In chronic infection, HBsAg would be persistently present for more than six months. Recurring infection may refer to various phases of chronic infection or reactivation, which also involves the presence of HBsAg. While receiving a hepatitis B vaccination typically leads to the development of anti-HBs without the presence of HBsAg, distinguishing this from natural clearance of the infection requires additional context regarding the test results and possibly the patient’s vaccination history.

Thus, when HBsAg is absent and anti-HBs is present, it confirms that the individual has cleared the infection after either an acute phase or has successfully responded to vaccination, resulting in the presence of protective antibodies.