Basic Study Hepatitis B virus detected in paper currencies in a densely populated city of India: A plausible source of horizontal transmission?

• 作者: Anisa Ghosh Palashpriya Das Ritika Chatterjee Ruchi Supekar Subhajit Biswas Subrata Roy
• 来源期刊: 世界肝病学杂志:英文版(电子版)
• 学科: 医学
• 关键词: Hepatitis B virus CONTAMINATION Paper currencies Occult hepatitis B virus Hepatitis B virus surface antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay Horizontal transmission
• 年，卷（期）: 2020,（10）
• 页码范围: 775-791
• 页数: 17页
• 分类号: R51

摘要

BACKGROUND The recent rise in the incidence of hepatitis B virus(HBV)infections in a densely populated city of eastern India(“mixing vessel”of people of varied socioeconomic and immune status)prompted this study.Applying saliva on fingers for enumerating bank notes is a common practice in the Indian subcontinent.Paper notes may be a potential source of“horizontal”transmission of this virus,especially if there are cuts/bruises on the oral mucous membrane or skin.AIM To investigate whether paper currencies could be a plausible mode of horizontal transmission of HBV infection.METHODS Polymerase chain reactions(PCR)followed by nucleotide sequencing was done for the detection of HBV.Hepatitis B virus surface antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(HBsAg ELISA)was performed on all HBV deoxyribonucleic acid-positive samples to check the detectability of the virus.Atomic force microscopy(AFM)was carried out for visual confirmation of HBV particles in ultracentrifuged/immunoprecipitated samples from currency paper washings.RESULTS HBV-specific PCRs on pellets obtained after ultracentrifugation/immunoprecipitation of the currency paper washings detected potentially intact/viable HBV(genotype D2)in 7.14%of samples(n=70).AFM gave the visual confirmation of HBV particles in ultracentrifuged/immunoprecipitated samples from currency paper washings.However,HBV isolates from the currency notes could not be detected by HBsAg ELISA.CONCLUSION It is a common practice in the Indian subcontinent to count paper currencies by applying saliva on fingertips.Paper notes may be a potential source of“horizontal”transmission of this virus,especially if there are cuts/bruises on the oral mucous membrane or skin,but it was practically not possible to demonstrate experimentally such transmission.Detection of potentially intact/viable and“occult”HBV from currency poses potential risk of silent transmission of this virus among the general population.