title: Revisiting the Holy Cross football team hepatitis outbreak (1969) by serological analysis.
abstract: Clinical and biochemical data collected during the Holy Cross College football team hepatitis A outbreak in 1969 suggested that 32 team members had icteric hepatitis, 58 had anicteric illness, and only seven were not infected. Using a currently available radioimmunoassay, we tested stored serum samples obtained during the outbreak for IgM antibody to hepatitis A virus (IgM anti-HAV). Only individuals with icteric hepatitis were found to have IgM anti-HAV in serum; those with presumed anicteric illness were shown not to be infected with hepatitis A virus. The attack rate was thus only 34%, not 93% as originally reported, and the incidence of icteric illness in those infected was 100%, not 33%. This serological analysis of a classic outbreak of hepatitis A illustrates the utility and importance of IgM anti-HAV testing in seroepidemiologic investigations of hepatitis outbreaks.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Wacker
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dienstag
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D004796:Clinical Enzyme Tests; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D007565:Jaundice / Q000209:etiology; D008404:Massachusetts; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014495:Universities
chemical_list: D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000410:Alanine Transaminase