Nosocomial infection with hepatitis A.

Nosocomial spread of hepatitis A is very uncommon but may occur under unusual circumstances, as shown by the incident described here and by the few other published reports. In this incident it is concluded that the patient, who was the index case, was excreting hepatitis A virus in the faeces 16 days before jaundice developed and 17 days before alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values reached a peak.