HEPATITIS-C VIRUS IN MULTIPLE EPISODES OF ACUTE HEPATITIS IN POLYTRANSFUSED THALASSEMIC CHILDREN

We investigated the course of distinct episodes of acute non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis in three polytransfused thalassaemic children. In eac h case, the first episode was associated with the appearance of serum hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and anti-HCV seroconversion. The second ep isode was accompanied by the reappearance of HCV viraemia, which in tw o patients was due to reinfection with a different HCV strain and in t he third could be the result of either reactivation of primary infecti on or reinfection with a new but closely related strain. Thus HCV infe ction may not induce protective immunity, which has implications for v accine development.