Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Unique Evolution Patterns of Hepatitis B and C Viruses Revealed by Continuous Genetic Surveillance from 2015 to 2021 in Gabon, Central Africa

Haruka Abe
ORCID logo ,
Yuri Ushijima
,
Rodrigue Bikangui
ORCID logo ,
Georgelin Nguema Ondo
,
Christelle M. Pemba
,
Vahid R. Zadeh
,
Patrick I. Mpingabo
,
Hayato Ueda
,
Selidji T. Agnandji
,
Bertrand Lell
,
Jiro Yasuda
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 18 July 2023 / Approved: 18 July 2023 / Online: 19 July 2023 (08:09:22 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Abe, H.; Ushijima, Y.; Bikangui, R.; Ondo, G.N.; Pemba, C.M.; Zadeh, V.R.; Mpingabo, P.I.; Ueda, H.; Agnandji, S.T.; Lell, B.; Yasuda, J. Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis B and C Viruses Revealed by Continuous Surveillance from 2015 to 2021 in Gabon, Central Africa. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 2046. Abe, H.; Ushijima, Y.; Bikangui, R.; Ondo, G.N.; Pemba, C.M.; Zadeh, V.R.; Mpingabo, P.I.; Ueda, H.; Agnandji, S.T.; Lell, B.; Yasuda, J. Genetic Diversity of Hepatitis B and C Viruses Revealed by Continuous Surveillance from 2015 to 2021 in Gabon, Central Africa. Microorganisms 2023, 11, 2046.

Abstract

Viral hepatitis remains one of the largest public health concerns worldwide. Especially in Central Africa, information on hepatitis virus infections has been limited, although the prevalence in this region has been reported to be higher than the global average. To reveal the current status of hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV) infections and the genetic diversity of the viruses, we conducted longitudinal surveillance in Gabon. We detected 22 HBV and 9 HCV infections in 2,047 patients with febrile illness. Genetic analyses of HBV identified subgenotype A1 for the first time in Gabon and an insertion generating a frameshift to create an X-preC/C fusion protein. We also revealed that most of the detected HCVs belonged to the “Gabon-specific” HCV subtype 4e (HCV-4e), and the entire nucleotide sequence of the HCV-4e polyprotein was determined to establish the first reference sequence. HCV-4e strains possessed resistance-associated substitutions similar to those of other HCV-4 strains, indicating that the use of direct-acting antiviral therapy may be complex. These results provide a better understanding of the current situation of hepatitis B and C virus infections in Central Africa, and will help public health organizations develop effective countermeasures to eliminate chronic viral hepatitis in this region.

Keywords

hepatitis virus; HBV; HCV; surveillance; Gabon; Africa

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Virology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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