Which among the following is the only hepatitis virus which can be cultured?: (A) HAV, (B) HBV, (C) HDV, (D) HCV
Answer is A. HAV can be cultured from the feces of infected individuals. Comparison of A, B, D, C, and E Hepatitis FEATURE A B C E Virus type Single-stranded RNA Double-stranded DNA RNA RNA Incubation period (days) 15-45 (mean, 25) 30-180 (mean, 60-90) 15-150 (mean 50) 21-56 (mean 40) Onset Usually sudden Usually slow Insidious Age preference Children, young adults All ages All ages Young adult Transmission Fecal-oral +++ +- - +++ Sexual + ++ + +? Parenteral - +++ +++ Chronicity (%) None 10 85 Rare Carrier state None Yes Yes No Immune serum globulin protective Yes Yesb No No Vaccine Yes Yes No No Ref: Maternal and Child Health Nursing By Adele Pillitter page 1135. Ray C.G., Ryan K.J. (2010). Chapter 13. Hepatitis Viruses. In C.G. Ray, K.J. Ryan (Eds), Sherris Medical Microbiology, 5e.