Non-B hepatitis in Melbourne: a serological study of hepatitis A virus infection

A study was performed to establish the value of immune adherence haemagglutination tests for antibody to hepatitis A virus in the diagnosis of non-B hepatitis. Infection with hepatitis A virus was confirmed in 14 out of 16 patients from six families and seven out of nine patients in whom the source of infection was unknown. One additional patient, who had had two episodes of jaundice, was shown to have had an attack of hepatitis A followed by an attack of hepatitis B. In patients with acute hepatitis A antibody detectable by immune adherence haemagglutination becomes detectable three or four weeks after the onset of symptoms and reaches peak levels about five weeks later.