Acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. Prolonged presence of the infectious agent in blood

Non-A, non-B hepatitis, previously transmitted to chimpanzees by inoculation of human serum, was serially transmitted through a second and third passage to additional chimpanzees using serum drawn during acute non-A, non-B hepatitis. Sera obtained at weeks 4 and 5 after inoculation from two different chimpanzees, and from one chimpanzee at week 13 after inoculation, were shown to cause elevation of serum aminotransferase levels and abnormal liver biopsies in recipient chimpanzees, with no serologic evidence of hepatitis A or B, cytomegalovirus, or Epstein-Barr virus infection. Serum obtained 3 wk after inoculation did not cause elevation of aminotransferase levels in the recipient chimpanzee, although a single abnormal biopsy was obtained. Thus, the non-A, non-B hepatitis agent was present in serum during acute disease near the time of the first aminotransferase elevation (week 4; perhaps also week 3), and persisted at least until 1 week after the peak aminotransferase level (week 13).