[Spontaneous and experimental hepatitis A in Papio hamadryas].

Data on high susceptibility of Papio hamadryas to HAV are presented. For the first time, P. hamadryas were shown to be able to respond to both natural and experimental infection developing the features typical of hepatitis A: increased aminotransferase activity, virus shedding in feces, production of anti-HAV IgG and IgM, histological liver lesions. An infection lingering for 3-4 months was observed, as well as a case of chronic experimental hepatitis A with relapse in 7 months of the disease. Virological evidence of HAV infection was obtained in both lingering and chronic disease. HAV-PH strain was isolated for the first time and is described at length. It was isolated from a baboon with spontaneous infection which did not differ from that in man by antigenic and morphological features. The virus replicated in continuous African green monkey kidney cell line (AGMK) and was pathogenic for P. hamadryas. The HAV-PH isolate can be used for modelling hepatitis A in P. hamadryas.