Enteric transmission of transfusion-transmitted virus

Objective To detect the virus in the feces and sera of patients in an outbr eak of enterically transmitted non-A, non-E hepatitis, and this review cove rs the epidemiologic features and experimental infection of this novel viru s. Data sources Data sources come from our own work on this subject, published and unpublished. Study selection Mainly our own work is included, and related literature is collected. Results In an outbreak of enterically transmitted non-A-E. hepatitis among students, a total of 381 cases (60.7%) were documented. Viral fragments ide ntical to transfusion transmitted virus (TTV) were detected in both serum a nd stool samples. Asymptomatic virus carriers among the staff had positive serum (32.1%) and feces (24.6%), clearly a potential source of infection. T his viral infection prevalence in 2 remote villages in northern and souther n China was 9.2% and 10.6%, respectively, suggesting that China is an endem ic area. In this study, groups of 3 Rhesus monkeys were infected via oral o r intravenous inoculation with patient feces. Two additional monkeys were i nfected by passage. The virus was detected in serum, peripheral blood monon uclear cell (PBMC), liver, spleen and small intestine, while the virus posi tive single strand, which might be a replicative intermediate, was only in liver, intestine and PBMC of all animals. Conclusions This nonenveloped DNA virus might be transmitted both by blood and enteric routes. Considering its wide distribution and high prevalence, we suppose that nonparenteral transmission is more important.