Susceptibility of monkeys to human hepatitis A virus.

ABSTRACT

A stump-tailed monkey, newly caught and without antibody to hepatitis B virus (HAV), was successfully infected with human HAV. The following alterations were observed in the monkey's functions (1) elevation in activities of serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, and its type 5 isoenzyme (electrophoretically the fastest moving); (2) development of antibody to HAV; and (3) shedding of HAV antigen in feces. The virus isolated from the monkey, designated the Hangzhou A-1A strain of HAV, was serially transmitted to two other stump-tailed monkeys. Thus, the stump-tailed monkey (Macaca speciosa) is susceptible to infection with human HAV.