AN OUTBREAK OF INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS AMONG CHIMPANZEE HANDLERS AT A UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BASE

摘要

An outbreak of infectious hepatitis among personnel of a chimpanzee vivarium at a United States Air Force installation was described. Eleven cases, two of which were subclinical, were reported from August 1958 through December 1960. All of these individuals experienced repeated close contacts with newly acquired young chimpanzees from Cameroun, Africa, or from a wild bird and game farm in Florida. Only 21 personnel had such contacts during the specified period, yielding an attack rate of more than 50 percent. Incidence of the disease during the same period of time among base personnel and their dependents having no contact with the chimpanzees has not exceeded 3.7 per l000. A control group of 88 base personnel having no history of contact with chimpanzees showed no subclinical hepatitis as indicated by normal serum transaminase (glutamic-oxaloacetic) determinations. Among 75 individuals who experienced repeated contacts with older chimpanzees in the established animal colony, no cases of hepatitis were known to develop during the period of contact and serum transaminases in this group were all normal.nThe possibility that the young chimpanzees serve as transient carriers of human hepatitis virus has been suggested and discussed.