Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B virus in Afro-Venezuelan populations.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among Venezuelan populations of African origin was analyzed. These populations exhibited lower HBV prevalence than the one found in the African continent. Sequence analysis of 6 isolates showed that 3 belonged to genotype F, while the 3 others were HBV genotype A. HBV genotype A was more common in the Afro-Venezuelan groups than in the general Venezuelan population. This might reflect the introduction of genotype A during the slavery period. The absence of the African genotype E among these isolates supports the hypothesis of a recent origin for this HBV genotype. HBV genotype F has already been introduced to these relatively isolated communities.
Quintero
A
A
Laboratorio de Biología de Virus, CMBC, IVIC, Caracas, Venezuela.
Martínez
D
D
Alarcón De Noya
B
B
Costagliola
A
A
Urbina
L
L
González
N
N
Liprandi
F
F
Castro De Guerra
D
D
Pujol
F H
FH
D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005838:Genotype; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D014687:Venezuela