EXPOSURE TO ENTEROVIRUSES AND HEPATITIS-A VIRUS AMONG DIVERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL WATERS IN FRANCE, FIRST BIOLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL SURVEY OF A CONTROLLED COHORT

An epidemiological study of hepatitis A and enteroviruses was conducte d in a military diving training school, by evaluating the viral contam ination of water using an ultrafiltration concentration technique, and assessing seroconversion and the presence of virus in stool specimens obtained from 109 divers and 48 controls. Three of 29 water specimens were positive for enterovirus by cell culture and 9 by molecular hybr idization. There was little or no risk of virus infection during the t raining course (49 h exposure) because there was no significant differ ence between divers and controls for both viral isolation and seroconv ersion. However, a higher percentage of coxsackievirus B4 and B5 serop ositive divers suggests that these were more exposed during previous w ater training. No hepatitis A virus (HAV) detection and no seroconvers ion to HAV was observed. The rate of HAV seropositive subjects was 17% in this 24.5-year-old population.