经实验和自然感染途径表明,黑猩猩和其他的非人灵长类对人类肝炎病毒易感。通常,这些动物感染甲型和乙型肝炎病毒后并不出现肝炎的症状与体征。因而,无症状的感染动物,对血清学阴性的非人灵长类或人类,可通过密切接触而成为传播肝炎的可能传染源。自1961年以来,已发生了200例以 Experimental and natural routes of infection indicate that chimpanzees and other non-human primates are susceptible to the human hepatitis virus. In general, these animals do not develop the symptoms and signs of hepatitis B after they have been infected with the Hepatitis A and B viruses. Thus, asymptomatic infected animals, through seroconversion, may become a possible source of transmission of hepatitis for seronegative non-human primates or humans. 200 cases have taken place since 1961