Nonparenteral Transmission of Viral Hepatitis Type B (Australia Antigen-Associated Serum Hepatitis)

ALTHOUGH earlier epidemiologic studies suggested that viral hepatitis Type B (serum hepatitis) sometimes could be spread by personal contact,1 it was only recently that a nonparenteral (oral) mode of transmission was conclusively demonstrated experimentally by Krugman and his co-workers.2 , 3 These studies involved children in whom the infection was almost always clinically inapparent and had to be monitored by laboratory tests. The presence of Australia (Au/SH) antigen in the serum in Type B but not Type A hepatitis patients clearly distinguished these two infections and permitted documentation of the oral-transmission experiments.4 , 5 Our report presents clinical cases observed over a period of . . .