Abstract
Summary
A precipitating antigen, which reacted with the fecal antibody identified by Ferris, was detected in the feces of 2 of 22 patients with infectious hepatitis and in none of 8 patients who were exposed during the epidemic. Serial serum specimens from these patients and 8 other infected patients did not show precipitation reactions with these 2 fecal antigens or 5 other fecal preparations. Neither Au antigen nor Au antibody was detected in the stool samples from serum Au antigen carriers. No precipitating antibody was found among 14 sera from hemophiliac patients which would react with a significant number of stool specimens from patients in this epidemic. It is unlikely that the Ferris antigen was associated with this epidemic of infectious hepatitis.
The physicians, nurses, psychiatric aides, and laboratory personnel at the Lynchburg Training School and Hospital gave us great assistance in the collection of all specimens. Documentation of all aspects of the epidemic was provided us by the medical records and statistical personnel of the Institution. We acknowledge the technical assistance of Mrs. Suellen M. Kiger of Microbiological Associates Inc., Bethesda, MD, in performing the Australia antigen complement–fixation assays, and cataloging the numerous specimens.
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