Aetiological Agent of Enterically Transmitted Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis

• Published in: Journal of general virology 1988-03, Vol.69 (3), p.731-738
• Main Authors: Bradley, Daniel, Andjaparidze, Alexander, Cook, E. H., Jr, McCaustland, Karen, Balayan, Mikhail, Stetler, Harrison, Velazquez, Oscar, Robertson, Betty, Humphrey, Charles, Kane, Mark, Weisfuse, Isaac
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Viral - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Cross Reactions; Feces - microbiology; Hepatitis C - microbiology; Hepatitis C - transmission; hepatitis D virus; Hepatitis Viruses - classification; Hepatitis Viruses - immunology; Hepatitis Viruses - isolation & purification; Hepatitis Viruses - ultrastructure; Hepatitis, Viral, Human - microbiology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Macaca fascicularis; Medical sciences; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis
• ISSN: 0022-1317; 1465-2099
• DOI: 10.1099/0022-1317-69-3-731

Division of Viral Diseases, Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333 U.S.A., 1 Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitides, Moscow, U.S.S.R. 2 Global EIS Program, Mexico Center for Prevention Services, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, U.S.A. and 3 Global EIS Program, Ministry of Health, Mexico City, Mexico Virus-like particles (VLPs) with a mean diameter of 32 nm were recovered from the stools of three acute phase cases of enterically transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis (ET-NANBH) occurring in the Soviet Union, North Africa and North America. VLPs from two of these cases were studied in detail and were shown to react specifically with antibody in acute phase sera obtained from other cases of ET-NANBH in Asia, the Soviet Union, North Africa and North America. Partially purified VLPs were found to sediment at 183S in sucrose gradients and to cross-react with antibody in acute phase sera from geographically isolated cases of ET-NANBH. The latter virus preparations were also used to document the seroconversion of experimentally ET-NANBH-infected cynomolgus macaques to 32 nm VLPs. Our findings indicate that one virus or class of viruses is responsible for the majority of ET-NANBH. Keywords: hepatitis, non-A, non-B, enteric transmission, aetiological agent Received 23 July 1987; accepted 4 December 1987.