title: Exponential spread of hepatitis C virus genotype 4a in Egypt.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Molecular Informative Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kawasumi, Mizuho, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agha
authors.forename: Niveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saudy
authors.forename: Fuat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kurbanov
authors.forename: Etsuro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orito
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Mostafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abo-Zeid
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khalaf
authors.forename: Yuzo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizokami
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D000965:Antimony