HCV genotypes in Morocco

• Published in: Journal of medical virology Vol. 52; no. 4; pp. 396 - 398
• Main Authors: Benani, Abdelouahab, El-Turk, Joumana, Benjelloun, Soumaya, Sekkat, Souad, Nadifi, Sellama, Hda, Nezha, Benslimane, Abdellah
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.08.1997; Wiley-Liss
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; chronic hepatitis; DNA Primers - genetics; Epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotype; hemodialysis patients; Hepacivirus - classification; Hepacivirus - genetics; Hepacivirus - isolation & purification; Hepatitis C - epidemiology; Hepatitis C - virology; Hepatitis, Chronic - epidemiology; Hepatitis, Chronic - virology; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Molecular Epidemiology; Morocco - epidemiology; PCR; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Renal Dialysis; Viral diseases; Viral hepatitis; Virology; Morocco; Africa; Human; Prevalence; Hepatic disease; Genotype; Infection; Virus; Chronic; Viral disease; Molecular epidemiology; Digestive diseases; Flaviviridae; Hepatitis C virus; Viral hepatitis C
• ISSN: 0146-6615; 1096-9071
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9071(199708)52:4<396::AID-JMV9>3.0.CO;2-X

To determine the hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes circulating in Morocco, virus isolates from 105 chronically infected and 19 hemodialysis patients were examined using the line probe assay. Genotypes 1 and 2 only were found among Moroccan patients. Subtypes 1b (47.6%) and 2a/2c (37.1%) were the most common, whereas subtype 1a (2.8%) was less common. Among the hemodialysis patients, only genotype 1 was found with a prevalence of 68.4% for subtype 1b and 15.8% for the subtype 1a. It was also shown that the HCV genotypes distribution varies with age in both studied populations. Subtype 1b was most prevalent among older patients, whereas subtype 2a/2c was mainly found among younger ones. Although Morocco belongs to the African continent, the circulating HCV strains are similar to those observed in some American and European 1997 countries. J. Med. Virol. 52:396–398, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.