Hepatitis B virus genotype E variability in Africa

• Published in: Journal of clinical virology Vol. 43; no. 4; pp. 376 - 380
• Main Authors: Hübschen, Judith M, Andernach, Iris E, Muller, Claude P
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.12.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Africa; Allergy and Immunology; Biological and medical sciences; DNA, Viral - genetics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genome, Viral; Genotype; Genotype E; Hepatitis B - virology; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - genetics; Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus - classification; Hepatitis B virus - genetics; Hepatitis B virus - isolation & purification; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Phylogeny; Sequence Homology; Viral diseases; Virology; Africa; Genotype E; Africa; Hepatitis B virus; Virus; Calicivirus; Microbiology; Hepadnaviridae; Caliciviridae; Orthohepadnavirus; Genotype; Hepatitis E virus; Virology
• ISSN: 1386-6532; 1873-5967
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2008.08.018

Abstract Background In sub-Saharan Africa, genotype E is the predominant genotype throughout a vast region spanning from Senegal to Namibia and extending to the Central African Republic in the East. Despite its wide geographic distribution and the high prevalence throughout this genotype E crescent, this genotype has a very low genetic diversity. Objectives Here we review our current understanding of genotype E reanalysing all currently available sequences of the S gene and the complete genome. Results Phylogenetic analysis of the complete genome sequences confirmed a previously suggested South-West/Central African cluster and several lineages of West African sequences. The overall mean genetic distance was 1.71%, with the more Southern countries of the genotype E crescent exhibiting lower distances than the Northern countries. Conclusions Genotype E seems to have a longer natural history in the Northern part of the genotype E crescent than in the Southern countries. As genotype E is essentially absent from the Americas despite the Afro-American slave trade until at least the beginning of the 19th century, genotype E strains may have been introduced into the general African population only within the past 200 years. How the virus may have spread throughout the genotype E crescent warrants further investigation.