Exponential spread of hepatitis C virus genotype 4a in Egypt.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects >10% of the general population in Egypt, in which intravenous injection with an antimony compound for endemic schistosomiasis in the past has been implicated. To simulate the epidemic history of HCV in Egypt, sera were obtained from 3608 blood donors at 13 governorates in or surrounding the Nile valley during 1999. The prevalence of antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) and genotypes was determined in them, and the molecular evolutionary analysis based on the neutral theory was applied to HCV isolates of genotype 4a, which is outstandingly prevalent in Egypt and indigenous there. Of 3608 sera, 317 (8.8%) were positive for anti-HCV. The molecular evolutionary analysis on 47 HCV genotype 4a isolates of carriers from various districts in Egypt indicated that the spread of HCV-4a would have increased exponentially during the 1940s through 1980 when oral medications became available. In conclusion, the estimated spread time is consistent with the duration of intravenous antimony campaigns in Egypt.
Tanaka
Yasuhito
Y
Department of Clinical Molecular Informative Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kawasumi, Mizuho, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
Agha
Salah
S
Saudy
Niveen
N
Kurbanov
Fuat
F
Orito
Etsuro
E
Kato
Takanobu
T
Abo-Zeid
Mostafa
M
Khalaf
Mohamed
M
Miyakawa
Yuzo
Y
Mizokami
Masashi
M
D000328:Adult; D000965:Antimony / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001483:Base Sequence; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D004534:Egypt / Q000453:epidemiology; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D040961:Genetic Drift; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral / Q000009:adverse effects; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012552:Schistosomiasis / Q000188:drug therapy; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000965:Antimony