Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a common human pathogen found exclusively in primates. In a molecular and serologic study of 64 alpacas in Bolivia, we detected RNA of distinct HAV in ≈9% of animals and HAV antibodies in ≈64%. Complete-genome analysis suggests a long association of HAV with alpacas.
Keywords: Bolivia; Hepatovirus; RNA; alpacas; feces; genotype; hepatitis A virus; livestock; new-world Camelids; viruses; zoonoses.