title: Characterization of a canine homolog of hepatitis C virus.
abstract: An estimated 3% of the world's population is chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although HCV was discovered more than 20 y ago, its origin remains obscure largely because no closely related animal virus homolog has been identified; furthermore, efforts to understand HCV pathogenesis have been hampered by the absence of animal models other than chimpanzees for human disease. Here we report the identification in domestic dogs of a nonprimate hepacivirus. Comparative phylogenetic analysis of the canine hepacivirus (CHV) confirmed it to be the most genetically similar animal virus homolog of HCV. Bayesian Markov chains Monte Carlo and associated time to most recent common ancestor analyses suggest a mean recent divergence time of CHV and HCV clades within the past 500-1,000 y, well after the domestication of canines. The discovery of CHV may provide new insights into the origin and evolution of HCV and a tractable model system with which to probe the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of diseases caused by hepacivirus infection.
authors: Center for Infection and Immunity, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. ak3117@columbia.edu
authors: Amit
authors: A
authors: Kapoor
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Simmonds
authors: Gisa
authors: G
authors: Gerold
authors: Natasha
authors: N
authors: Qaisar
authors: Komal
authors: K
authors: Jain
authors: Jose A
authors: JA
authors: Henriquez
authors: Cadhla
authors: C
authors: Firth
authors: David L
authors: DL
authors: Hirschberg
authors: Charles M
authors: CM
authors: Rice
authors: Shelly
authors: S
authors: Shields
authors: W Ian
authors: WI
authors: Lipkin
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