title: Evaluation of Viremia Frequencies of a Novel Human Pegivirus by Using Bioinformatic Screening and PCR.
abstract: Next-generation sequencing has critical applications in virus discovery, diagnostics, and environmental surveillance. We used metagenomic sequence libraries for retrospective screening of plasma samples for the recently discovered human hepegivirus 1 (HHpgV-1). From a cohort of 150 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive case-patients, we identified 2 persons with HHpgV-1 viremia and a high frequency of human pegivirus (HPgV) viremia (14%). Detection of HHpgV-1 and HPgV was concordant with parallel PCR-based screening using conserved primers matching groups 1 (HPgV) and 2 (HHPgV-1) nonstructural 3 region sequences. PCR identified 1 HHPgV-1-positive person with viremia from a group of 195 persons with hemophilia who had been exposed to nonvirally inactivated factor VII/IX; 18 (9%) were HPgV-positive. Relative to HCV and HPgV, active infections with HHpgV-1 were infrequently detected in blood, even in groups that had substantial parenteral exposure. Our findings are consistent with lower transmissibility or higher rates of virus clearance for HHpgV-1 than for other bloodborne human flaviviruses.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonsall
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: Camilla L C
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: Sharyne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Donfield
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iles
authors.forename: M Azim
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trebes
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frater
authors.forename: Oliver G
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Pybus
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goulder
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Klenerman
authors.forename: Rory
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.forename: Edward D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Gomperts
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: Colin P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simmonds
mesh_terms: D060085:Coinfection; D019295:Computational Biology; D005167:Factor VII / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018067:Flaviviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018178:Flaviviridae Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D006801:Humans; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014766:Viremia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D005167:Factor VII
keywords: Flaviviridae; HCV; HHpgV-1; Hepacivirus; Hepegivirus; Pegivirus; bloodborne pathogens; hemophilia; parenteral; persons who inject drugs; sexually transmitted disease; transfusion; virus persistence; viruses