Excretion of hepatitis A virus in the stools of hospitalized hepatitis patients

A study was carried out to determine whether hepatitis A virus (HAV) can be detected in the stools of patients hospitalized for HAV infection. Acute phase samples of whole blood and stool, as well as completed questionnaires, were obtained from 31 patients hospitalized at any of 13 hospitals in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Blood specimens were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), IgG antibody to HAV (IgG anti-HAV), and IgM antibody to HAV (IgM anti-HAV). Stools were tested for HAV by radioimmunoassay. Five patients (16.1%) had acute hepatitis B, five (16.1%) had acute non-A/non-B hepatitis, and 21 (67.7%) had acute hepatitis A. Of these 21 patients with acute hepatitis A, 11 (52.4%) were found to have HAV in their stools. These results confirm the potential for infectivity of stools of patients hospitalized for hepatitis A and emphasizes the need for caution when dealing with such stools.