title: Prevalence of serum antibodies against lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus in selected populations from two U.S. cities.
abstract: An ELISA was developed for measuring serum antibodies against the arenavirus lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and a closely related isolate termed callitrichid hepatitis virus (CHV). The ELISA was used to test sera from healthy adults and from hepatitis patients. In Birmingham, Alabama, the seropositivity rate for healthy black women was 5.1% (7/138), and the rate for patients with all types of hepatitis or cirrhosis was 4.3% (2/46). In San Antonio, Texas, the seropositivity rate among a clinical series of patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis was 0 (0/20), and the rate among persons rejected from blood donation because of high serum alanine aminotransferase levels was 2.4% (2/82). These results indicate that infection with LCMV or CHV is common in Birmingham but that infection is not associated with hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Stephensen
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Blount
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lanford
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Montali
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fleenor
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002144:Callithrix / Q000382:microbiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000276:immunology*; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral