Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Bat Hepatitis B Viruses in Bat Species Living in Gabon.

ABSTRACT: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to around 800,000 deaths yearly and is considered to be a major public health problem worldwide. However, HBV origins remain poorly understood. Here, we looked for bat HBV (BtHBV) in different bat species in Gabon to investigate the role of these animals as carriers of ancestral hepadnaviruses because these viruses are much more diverse in bats than in other host species. DNA was extracted from 859 bat livers belonging to 11 species collected in caves and villages in the southeast of Gabon and analyzed using PCRs targeting the surface gene. Positive samples were sequenced using the Sanger method. BtHBV DNA was detected in 64 (7.4%) individuals belonging to eight species mainly collected in caves. Thirty-six (36) sequences among the 37 obtained after

SUBMITTER: Koumba Mavoungou DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11281422 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature