Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis B and C Viruses Revealed by Continuous Surveillance from 2015 to 2021 in Gabon, Central Africa.

ABSTRACT: Viral hepatitis remains one of the largest public health concerns worldwide. Especially in Central Africa, information on hepatitis virus infections has been limited, although the prevalence in this region has been reported to be higher than the global average. To reveal the current status of hepatitis B and C virus (HBV and HCV) infections and the genetic diversity of the viruses, we conducted longitudinal surveillance in Gabon. We detected 22 HBV and 9 HCV infections in 2047 patients with febrile illness. Genetic analyses of HBV identified subgenotype A1 for the first time in Gabon and an insertion generating a frameshift to create an X-preC/C fusion protein. We also revealed that most of the detected HCVs belonged to the "Gabon-specific" HCV subtype 4e (HCV-4e), and the entire nucleotid

SUBMITTER: Abe H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10458803 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature