title: The Phylogeographic and Spatiotemporal Spread of HCV in Pakistani Population.
abstract: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is the most prevalent human pathogen in Pakistan and is the major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in infected patients. It has shifted from being hypo-endemic to being hyper-endemic. There was no information about the origin and evolution of the local variants. Here we use newly developed phyloinformatic methods of sequence analysis to conduct the first comprehensive investigation of the evolutionary and biogeographic history in unprecedented detail and breadth. Considering evolutionary rate and molecular-clock hypothesis in context, we reconstructed the spatiotemporal spread of HCV in the whole territory of its circulation using a combination of Bayesian MCMC methods utilizing all sequences available in GenBank. Comparative analysis were performed and were addressed. Whole genome and individual gene analysis have shown that sub-types 1a, 1b and 3a are recognized as epidemic strains and are distributed globally. Here we confirm that the origin of HCV 3a genotypes is in South Asia and HCV has evolved in the region to become stably adapted to the host environment.
authors.affiliation: School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia.|Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Noor-Ul-Huda
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Ghori
authors.affiliation: Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Atif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shafique
authors.affiliation: Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Qasim
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Hayat
authors.affiliation: Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB), National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad, Pakistan.|Department of Biology, College of Sciences, University Of Hail, PO Box 2440, Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Anjum
mesh_terms: D001499:Bayes Theorem; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral