Study on Hepatitis A Virus in Shellfish Collected from the Jiangsu Coast by Immune Capture-Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (IC-RT-PCR)

specimens of shellfish collected from 3 points of Jiangsu coast were detected for HAV RNA by using Immune Capture-Reverse Transcriptase-polymerase Chain Reaction (IC-RT-PCR)in 1993. 29 specimens of shellfish were positive for HAV RNA, the general positive rate was 63.04%(29/46). Of which, 63.16%(12/19) was found in Arca subcrenate, 90.0%(9/10)in Meretrix and 54.55%(6/11) in blood clam. So, it showed that many kinds of shellfish were contaminated by HAV in these areas of Jiangsu Province. The data also indicatedthat the positive rates of HAV RNA were 78.9% and 76.47% in both southern point A and middle point B, which were more higher than the north point C (only 10%). This pattern of contribution of HAV RNA was accorded with the contribution of HAV patients in Jiangsu Province.