Detection of infectious hepatitis A virus in blood factor concentrates by experimental infection of the New World primate Saguinus fuscicollis

At present, the hepatitis A virus cannot be detected readily by cell culture techniques. However, the New World primateSaguinus fuscicolisis particularly susceptible to this virus. This paper gives details of thein vivodetection of hepatitis A virus inS. fuscicolis,and the method is used to show that a blood factor VIII preparation, suspected of being contaminated with hepatitis A, did not contain the virus.