Genetic Analysis of Hepatitis A Viruses Detected in an Outbreak at a Military Training Center, Chonburi Province : Plausibility of Contaminated Drinking Water
Keywords:
hepatitis A, HAV, molecular epidemiology, phylogenetic analysis deleted drinking waterAbstract
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a causative agent of food- and water - borne acute hepatitis that usually affects young adults. This study was to investigate possible agents of a viral hepatitis outbreak in 2008 at a military training center in Chonburi, Thailand. Of 388 serum samples of cases, 188 (48.8%) were positive for anti - HAV IgM, whereas all were negative for anti - HCV antibodies, anti-HBc IgM and anti HEV IgM. Furthermore, studies on randomly selected samples using RT - PCR at VP1/2A junction of HAV genome found that 30 anti - IgM - positive sera, 42 stool and 1 drinking water samples were positive for HAV RNA. Nucleotide sequence analysis of VP1/2A junction (234 base pairs) was further determined. We found that all 21 samples selected for phylogenetic analysis demonstrated identical sequences and were categorized into genotype IA. Our finding also suggested that the 2008 hepatitis A virus outbreak was possibly occurred from contamination of drinking water. Continuation on control measures for clean drinking water is, therefore, essential.
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