Revisiting the Holy Cross football team hepatitis outbreak (1969) by serological analysis.
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.
Friedman
L S
LS
O'Brien
T F
TF
Morse
L J
LJ
Chang
L W
LW
Wacker
W E
WE
Ryan
D M
DM
Dienstag
J L
JL
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
D035922:Hepatitis A Antibodies; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000410:Alanine Transaminase