We have described the clinical and laboratory manifestations and evolutiortal aspects of five patients from Codajás, state of Amazonas, Brasil. These patients were treated at the Instituto de Medicina Tropical de Manaus with a picture of acute liver failure with an average period of evolution of 4 days. Of these patients, four died, within an average time of five days since the prodromal phase. Serology for hepatitis B showed that HBAg was present in four, and the HBc antigen in all patients. An autopsy was perfomed on the four patients who died, and the liver histopathology revealed a picture of fulminant hepatitis in two, and Lábrea fever (febre negra), in the other two.
Fulminant viral hepatitis; Lábrea fever