Nosocomial hepatitis A. A multinursery outbreak in Wisconsin

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Abstract
Seven premature infants contracted asymptomatic hepatitis A while hospitalized in an intensive care nursery (nursery A) from May through Aug. 1981. Fifteen secondary cases occurred between Aug. 13 and Oct. 14; they included 6 family members of nursery A infants, 5 nursery A nurses and 3 nurses and a physician at 2 other nurseries.sbd.B and C. Nurseries B and C had each received an infected infant, transferred from nursery A, in July. An epidemiologic investigation was conducted to determine the mode of transmission of hepatitis A in infants. A common vehicle was not identified. Hepatitis A was transmitted in at least 2 generations of illness in infants at nursery A. Evaluation of infant handling in nursery A, using a case-control study, suggested that hepatitis A was transmitted among infants by nurses. Asymptomatic, infected premature infants can be a source of hepatitis A in nursery infants and personnel, and in the community.