Phylogenetic Analysis of Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes Circulating in Different Risk Groups of Panama, Evidence of the Introduction of Genotype A2 in the Country.

ABSTRACT: The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) can cause acute or chronic infection it is also associated with the development of liver cancer, thousands of new infections occur on a yearly basis, and many of these cases are located in certain areas of the Caribbean and Latin America. In these areas, the HBV prevalence is still high which makes this virus a serious public health concern to the entire region. Studies performed in Panama suggest a complex pattern in the distribution of HBV among the country's different risk groups. We use phylogenetic analysis in order to determine which HBV genotypes were circulating in these specific groups; for this we used a fragment of the PreS2/2 region of the HBV genome. Subsequently whole HBV genome sequences were used for Bayesian analysis of phylodynamics and phyloge

SUBMITTER: Martinez AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4521924 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature