Macrophage Depletion Reactivates Fecal Virus Shedding following Resolution of Acute Hepatitis A inIfnar1–/–Mice

HAV RNA persists in the liver of infected chimpanzees and interferon receptor-deficientIfnar1−/−mice for many months after neutralizing antibodies appear, virus has been cleared from the blood, and fecal virus shedding has terminated. Here, we show this viral RNA is located within hepatocytes and that the depletion of macrophages months after the resolution of hepatic inflammation restores fecal virus shedding and circulating viral RNA.