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13:04
A Protocol for Analyzing Hepatitis C Virus Replication
Published on: June 26, 2014
PERIOD OF INFECTIVITY OF PATIENTS WITH EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS.
1Section of Preventive Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|October 30, 2009
Summary
Infectious hepatitis virus was transmitted through serum and stools in the pre-icteric phase. Urine and washings were not infectious, and infectiousness decreased over time.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Infectious hepatitis is a significant public health concern.
- Understanding the transmission routes of infectious hepatitis is crucial for prevention and control.
- Previous studies have suggested various routes of transmission, but definitive evidence is often lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transmission routes of infectious hepatitis.
- To determine the infectiousness of different bodily fluids during various stages of the disease.
- To identify the primary sources of infectious hepatitis transmission.
Main Methods:
- Experimental induction of infectious hepatitis in human volunteers through feeding or parenteral inoculation.
- Collection of serum, stools, urine, and nasopharyngeal washings from infected patients at different disease phases.
- Administration of specimens to healthy volunteers via feeding, intranasal inoculation, or parenteral inoculation.
- Monitoring volunteers for the development of infectious hepatitis.
Main Results:
- Serum and stools from the pre-icteric phase successfully transmitted infectious hepatitis to 10 out of 15 volunteers.
- Urine and nasopharyngeal washings from the acute phase did not cause infection.
- Serum from the mid-incubation period and late-stage (25-31 days post-onset) serum and stools were not infectious.
- Varying doses of the infectious agent did not significantly alter the incubation period.
Conclusions:
- Serum and stools are the primary routes of infectious hepatitis transmission, particularly in the pre-icteric phase.
- Urine and respiratory secretions are unlikely routes for infectious hepatitis transmission.
- The infectious agent's presence and infectivity diminish significantly after the acute phase of the illness.
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