Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: HCV genotype 4 is prevalent in many African countries, yet little is known about the genotype׳s epidemic history on the continent. We present a comprehensive study of the molecular epidemiology of genotype 4. To address the deficit of data from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) we PCR amplified 60 new HCV isolates from the DRC, resulting in 33 core- and 48 NS5B-region sequences. Our data, together with genotype 4 database sequences, were analysed using Bayesian phylogenetic approaches. We find three well-supported intra-genotypic lineages and estimate that the genotype 4 common ancestor existed around 1733 (1650-1805). We show that genotype 4 originated in central Africa and that multiple lineages have been exported to north Africa since ~1850, including subtype 4a which dominates the epidemic in Egypt. We speculate on the causes of the historical intra-continental spread of genotype 4, including population movements during World War 2.
Source: Virology
Authors: James C. Iles, Jayna Raghwani, G.L. Abby Harrison, Jacques Pepin, Cyrille F. Djoko, Ubald Tamoufe, Matthew LeBreton, Bradley S. Schneider, Joseph N. Fair, Felix M. Tshala, Patrick K. Kayembe, Jean Jacques Muyembe, Samuel Edidi-Basepeo, Nathan D. Wolfe, Peter Simmonds, Paul Klenerman, Oliver G. Pybus
Institutions: University of Oxford, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Université de Sherbrooke, Global Viral, Metabiota (United States), Ecole de santé publique de Kinshasa, National Institute of Biomedical Research, Stanford University, Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Medawar Building for Pathogen Research
Language: English
Topic: Hepatitis C virus research
Subfield: Hepatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,160
Funders: Google.org, U.S. Department of Defense, United States Agency for International Development, Wellcome Trust, Skoll Foundation, National Institute for Health and Care Research, National Institutes of Health, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Fogarty International Center
Awards: G1204418272, Mechanistic understanding of virus pathogenesis and resistance, G4126455747, Fogarty AIDS International Training and Research Program (AITRP), G619786900, Function and specificity of T cells in persistent virus infection., Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution., NIHR Senior Investigator Award, NIH Director's Pioneer Award
OpenAlex ID: W2012709249