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An outbreak of hepatitis A in a rural river-island community was found to be associated with consumption of contaminated well water. Specimens from case-patients, the implicated well, and a cesspool suspected to be the source of contamination were all positive for hepatitis A virus (HAV) RNA by immunocapture reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. All isolates were identical over about 400 bases from two capsid-encoding regions of the genome, identifying the chain of transmission. Other wells up to 60 m from the cesspool also contained HAV RNA. In addition, HAV RNA was detected in the contamination source well 6 months after the initial contamination, when fecal coliform bacteria were no longer present. These findings demonstrate the utility of viral detection techniques to evaluate contaminated ground water.
Serres et al. (Fri,) studied this question.