title: An investigation of hepatitis A virus infected blood products.
abstract: Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection via the parenteral route is not common. To investigate this further, we obtained the fresh frozen plasma (FFP) component from a unit of whole blood provided by an HAV-infected donor and attempted to quantify and characterize the virus in this material. Despite repeated efforts at culture and cesium banding, HAV was not detected by these methods. However, a hepatitis-A-specific antibody capture assay did demonstrate an occasional HAV-like particle upon electron microscopic analysis of plasma-derived material. We conclude that the quantity of virus present in HAV-contaminated blood or products may be variable and therefore of insufficient numbers as to induce clinically apparent disease in all recipients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tripler Army Medical Center, HI 96859-5000.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Seal
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lerud
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Riel
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nadala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000635:transmission; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008889:Military Personnel; D010949:Plasma / Q000382:microbiology*; D014461:Ultracentrifugation