Concomitant poliovirus infection during an outbreak of hepatitis A

Aim Of the study: The present study was designed to evaluate the possible c o-infection, with other enteric viruses, during an outbreak of hepatitis A (HA), Material and Methods: Forty-two stool samples and sera were collected durin g an outbreak of hepatitis A, Sera were analysed by the Abbott test for IgG -IgM anti-HAV antibodies, Stool samples were used to identify the presence of enteric viruses, HAV genome was identified by a RT-PCR test, other enter ic viruses were identified, after cell passage and seroneutralization test on BGM cells, by RT-PCR and RFLP assay, Results: The samples were obtained from 27 employees of an industrial plant , nine household contacts and six non-employee controls, The attack rate wa s 12.5%, whereas the overall prevalence was 63%, In the employee group, 12 out of 27 stool samples were positive for the presence of HAV by reverse tr anscriptase polymerase chair reaction (RT-PCR), All the other samples (30) were negative, Five samples from employees, three from household contacts a nd one from non-employees were also found positive for enteroviruses, These viruses were classified by seroneutralization as poliovirus and RFLP assay as Sabin poliovirus type 1, Four samples were positive both for HAV and po liovirus. Conclusions: This study confirms co-infection with different enteric viruse s may occur and also emphasizes the wide circulation of HAV and the existen ce of silent infection with poliovirus. (C) 1999 The British Infection Soci ety.