STUDIES ON HUMAN HEPATITIS A VIRUS IN CHIMPANZEES

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 58  (4) , 352-358
Abstract
Several chimpanzees seronegative for hepatitis A by immune electron microscopy [IEM] and by radioimmunoassay [RIA] were inoculated with known infective fecal extracts from several sources, including the MS-1 strain of hepatitis A virus, 1st passage material from chimpanzee George and a strain of hepatitis A virus obtained during a naturally occurring outbreak of [human] infection in Germany. Elevated serum transaminase levels were found in the chimpanzees about 19 days after inoculation. Virus particles were found in feces as early as 9 days after infection in 1 chimpanzee and by days 12 and 14 in the others. Excretion of virus continued for 9-19 days, and the maximum numbers of virus particles were found on 17th-19th day after inoculation. The buoyant density in CsCl of virus particles separated from feces was 1.31 to 1.43 g/ml. Most of the particles were found in the fraction with a density of 1.34 g/ml. Hepatitis A antibody was detected in the serum by IEm and by RIA during the period of incubation while virus particles were still being excreted in the feces and coinciding approximately with the onset of biochemical evidence of liver damage. A very close or identical morphological and serological relationship was demonstrated between hepatitis A virus isolated from man and from the experimentally infected chimpanzees.