Limited Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis B Virus in the General Population of the Offin River Valley in Ghana.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections account for approximately 780,000 deaths per year, most of which occur in the developing world. Co-infection with HBV and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) may lead to the most severe form of viral hepatitis. In Ghana, knowledge on the prevalence of HBV and HDV in the general population is scanty and the few genetic analyses of the prevailing HBV genotypes are dating back more than a decade. In the present study, 1,323 serum samples from individuals living in a rural area (Offin river valley) of Ghana were analyzed for the presence of the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Positive sera were subsequently tested for the presence of anti-HDV antibodies. A total of 107 (8%) sera were HBsAg positive with an 8.4% prevalence of anti-HDV antibodies among the HBsAg positives. Phylogenetic analysis based on HBV pre-S/S sequences, attributed all 52 typable samples to genotype E. All belonged to serotype ayw4. While 19 sequences clustered with those from a number of African countries, the other 33 formed a separate cluster distinguished by an intergroup mean distance of 1.5% from the pan-African HBV/E cluster. Successful implementation of HBV vaccination in the region was reflected by the low HBsAg carrier rate of 1.8% among children ≤11 years.
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Molecular Immunology, Basel, Switzerland.|University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Kobina Assan
KA
Ampah
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Biology Institute, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Brazil.
Carlos Augusto
CA
Pinho-Nascimento
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Molecular Immunology, Basel, Switzerland.|University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Sarah
S
Kerber
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Prince
P
Asare
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Daniel
D
De-Graft
Radford University College, Accra, Ghana.
Frank
F
Adu-Nti
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Biology Institute, Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, Brazil.
Izabel C N P
IC
Paixão
Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Christian
C
Niel
Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Dorothy
D
Yeboah-Manu
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Molecular Immunology, Basel, Switzerland.|University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Gerd
G
Pluschke
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Molecular Immunology, Basel, Switzerland.|University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Katharina
K
Röltgen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002353:Carrier State; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010802:Phylogeny; D045483:Rivers; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D055815:Young Adult
D004279:DNA, Viral; D006508:Hepatitis Antibodies; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens