title: High prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection and predominance of genotype 4 in rural Gabon.
abstract: Hepatitis C (HCV) molecular epidemiology is documented poorly in central African countries. In response to this, a population-based study of 319 consenting adults resident in a remote village of Gabon was undertaken (mean age: 38 years; age range: 13-85+; sex ratio: 0.74). Screening for anti-HCV antibodies was performed using ELISA and recombinant immunoblot assay. Seropositive samples were assessed further with viral load and genotyping techniques. Sixty-six (20.7%) individuals were HCV seropositive. Viral loads ranged from 600 to 24.9 million IU/ml (median: 372,500). Seroprevalence and viral loads increased significantly with age (P < 10(-5) and P < 0.003, respectively). HCV sequences of the 5'UTR genome region were obtained from 60 (90.9%) samples and NS5B region sequences were obtained from 22 (36.6%) samples. All strains belonged to subtypes of genotype 4: 4e (72.7%), 4c (13.6%), 4p (4.5%), 4r (4.5%) and one unclassified genotype 4 strain. Evolutionary analysis of the subtype 4e sequences indicates a period of raised transmission during the early twentieth century.
authors.affiliation: Département de Virologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales, Franceville (CIRMF), Gabon.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ndong-Atome
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makuwa
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ouwe-Missi-Oukem-Boyer
authors.forename: O G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Pybus
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Branger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Le Hello
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Boye-Cheik
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brun-Vezinet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kazanji
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roques
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bisser
mesh_terms: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D012424:Rural Population; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D019562:Viral Load; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase
chemical_list: D020121:5' Untranslated Regions; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies; D012367:RNA, Viral; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; C087036:NS-5 protein, hepatitis C virus; D012324:RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase