Faecal Excretion of Hepatitis a Virus in Patients with Symptomatic Hepatitis a Infection

Abstract

One hundred and eleven hospitalized patients with serologically confirmed hepatitis A infection were studied for faecal excretion of hepatitis A virus (HAV) by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Twenty-six out of 105 patients seen within 2 weeks after onset of jaundice had specimens positive for HAV. The rate of excretion exceeded 50% in patients above 35 years of age and in those with serum amino-transferase values above 2000 U/l, but none of various clinically or biochemically defined subgroups were completely without HAV-positive individuals. It is recommended that all patients should be regarded as infectious for at least 2 weeks after clinical onset of the disease, and hygienic precautions should probably be maintained until biochemical liver function tests approach the normal level.

Key-words:

• Enterovirus
• faecal excretion
• hepatitis A virus
• infectivity
• viral hepatitis A