Transmission of Infectious Hepatitis by Transfusion of Whole Blood

CLINICAL, epidemiologic and experimental studies in recent years have defined some of the features of infection with the viruses of infectious (epidemic) hepatitis and serum hepatitis. It has been noted that the former disease is usually transmitted by person-to-person contact, probably by the fecal-oral route; the virus of infectious hepatitis has been found in the stool in acute cases of the disease,1 , 2 and in the stools of 2 children, five and fifteen months respectively after the acute illness.3 Blood-stream invasion by this virus is probably common, and may be an integral part of the infection; it has been noted in . . .