Prevalence and genetic diversity of hepatitis B and delta viruses in pregnant women in Gabon: molecular evidence that hepatitis delta virus clade 8 originates from and is endemic in central Africa.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) was found in 9.2% of 1,186 pregnant women from Gabon, of whom 10.1% had the HBe antigen and 89.9% had anti-HBe antibodies. Antibodies to the hepatitis delta virus (HDV) were found in 15.6% of the HBsAg-positive women. The HBV strains were of the A3 and E genotypes. The HDV strains belonged to HDV clades 1 and 8. These results provide clear evidence that HDV clade 8 is indigenous to Africa.
Makuwa
Maria
M
Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales, BP 769, Franceville, Gabon.
Caron
Mélanie
M
Souquière
Sandrine
S
Malonga-Mouelet
Gabriel
G
Mahé
Antoine
A
Kazanji
Mirdad
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003699:Hepatitis D / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D003698:Hepatitis Delta Virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D037841:Pregnant People; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens