Hepatitis A associated with other focal infections.

BACKGROUND Concomitant bacterial and viral infection is a well-known phenomenon, however only very rarely has a bacterial infection been reported during hepatitis A virus infection. OBJECTIVE To evaluate retrospectively the clinical records of children hospitalized with HAV infection for a concomitant infection proved or presumed to be bacterial. METHOD A retrospective study was conducted on all the children hospitalized with hepatitis A infection from 1988-96 in our center. The records were evaluated for a concomitant infection. RESULTS Of 40 children hospitalized with HAV infection, 13 were found to have a concomitant infection: these included 6 with pneumonia, 4 with pyelonephritis and 1 case each of purulent otitis media, osteomyelitis and staphylococcal bacteremia. CONCLUSION In areas where hepatitis A is endemic, a simultaneous infection with hepatitis A and other common bacterial infection during childhood may co-exist. A permissive role for HAV infection is suggested.