title: Molecular confirmation of hepatitis A virus from well water: epidemiology and public health implications.
abstract: An outbreak of hepatitis A in a rural river-island community was found to be associated with consumption of contaminated well water. Specimens from case-patients, the implicated well, and a cesspool suspected to be the source of contamination were all positive for hepatitis A virus (HAV) RNA by immunocapture reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. All isolates were identical over about 400 bases from two capsid-encoding regions of the genome, identifying the chain of transmission. Other wells up to 60 m from the cesspool also contained HAV RNA. In addition, HAV RNA was detected in the contamination source well 6 months after the initial contamination, when fecal coliform bacteria were no longer present. These findings demonstrate the utility of viral detection techniques to evaluate contaminated ground water.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Santé de Quebec, Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada. gdeserres@cspq.pc.ca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Serres
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Cromeans
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levesque
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brassard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barthe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dionne
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prud'homme
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paradis
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: O V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Nainan
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Margolis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D055593:Geological Phenomena; D005844:Geology; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission* / Q000821:virology; D006507:Hepatovirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012423:Rural Health; D012722:Sewage / Q000821:virology; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012367:RNA, Viral; D012722:Sewage