High and persistent excretion of hepatitis A virus in immunocompetent patients tjon2006high

This study investigates the duration and level of hepatitis A virus (HAV) excretion in blood and feces of 27 patients with acute hepatitis A, with a median age of 33 years, over a period of up to 26 weeks. The study also includes single blood donations from 55 other patients with acute HAV, with a median age of 32 years. Virus loads were quantified using competitive nested RT-PCR. The study found that HAV was excreted in feces for a median period of 81 days after disease onset, with high levels of excretion in the first month. Viraemia was detected for a median period of 42 days. The study highlights the potential for prolonged infectiousness and the need for awareness in blood banks regarding viraemia persistence.

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