Viral hepatitis and primates: historical and molecular analysis of human and nonhuman primate hepatitis A, B, and the GB-related viruses.
The hepatitis viruses have long been assumed to be highly host-specific, with infection of other nonhuman primates occurring due to inoculation with, or exposure to, human viruses. This paradigm has slowly changed over the last 10 years, as mounting data has revealed nonhuman primate equivalents of hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, and the hepatitis C-related viruses GBV-C and GBV-A. This review summarizes the historical and molecular information for each of these groups and highlights the impact of these nonhuman primate hepatitis viruses on our understanding of the evolution of each of these viruses.
Robertson
B H
BH
Hepatitis Branch, Division of Viral and Rickettsial Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta 30333, USA. bjr1@cdc.gov
D000818:Animals; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000235:genetics; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000235:genetics / Q000266:history; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000266:history / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000235:genetics / Q000266:history; D006518:Hepatitis Viruses; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000266:history / Q000821:virology*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000266:history / Q000821:virology*; D006507:Hepatovirus; D049673:History, 20th Century; D015186:Hominidae; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D011323:Primates