VIREMIA, FECAL SHEDDING, AND IGM AND IGG RESPONSES IN PATIENTS WITH HEPATITIS-E

Viremia, fecal shedding and antibody responses to hepatitis E virus (H EV) infections are poorly understood. To better characterize HEV infec tions, these responses were examined in 67 patients with acute markers for hepatitis E who were admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1993. A single stool and multiple sera from eac h patient were examined using polymerase chain reaction to detect HEV RNA. Sera were also examined for antibodies to HEV. Viremia, fecal she dding, and IgM and IgG to HEV were detected in 93%, 70%, 79%, and 87% of 67 patients, respectively. Viremia or fecal shedding (or both) were detected in 14 patients from whom IgM and IgG to HEV were not detecte d. Viremia lasted at least 2 weeks in nearly all subjects and at least 39 days in 1 subject. Our results suggest that viremia is a common oc currence in patients infected with HEV.