Observations on a Family Epidemic of Infectious Hepatitis

AN epidemic of infectious hepatitis occurring in 9 of 10 children in a single family was followed for five months in New York City. Such a high incidence of the disease in a group is unique in itself; in addition, these cases offered special information on four separate aspects of the disease — namely, epidemiology, the comparative value of certain liver-function tests, the occurrence of spider angiomas in the acute stage of infectious hepatitis and the incidence of subicteric cases.All members of the family were observed in the Outpatient Department of the Rockefeller Hospital, where liver-function tests were performed . . .