Transmission of hepatitis A virus among recently captured Panamanian owl monkeys

The presence of antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti-HAV) in 60% of procured owl monkeys (Aotus trivirgatus) held within the United States prompted a study of recently captured A trivirgatus in Panama. Only 2 of 145 newly captured monkeys, but all of 35 A trivirgatus held within a colony for over 100 days, were found to have anti-HAV. Of 41 sero-negative, newly captured monkeys followed prospectively, 25 became infected with hepatitis A virus (HAV) as evidenced by seroconversion or demonstration of virus in the liver at death. Only one monkey that survived over 60 days within the colony was not infected. HAV was identified in the feces of most infected monkeys prior to the development of antibody and was antigenically indistinguishable from human HAV in cross-blocking radioimmunoassays. This colony-centered epizootic provides strong evidence that A trivirgatus is susceptible to HAV and should be investigated further as a potential model of human hepatitis A.