Abstract
The molecular epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the Central African Republic (CAR) is poorly documented. Thus, we conducted phylogenetic analyses of NS5B gene sequences from 58 HCV-infected inhabitants of a remote area of south-west CAR, which indicated that 48 (82.8%) were infected with genotype 4 (HCV-4), five (8.6%) with genotype 2 and five (8.6%) with genotype 1. HCV-4 strains were highly heterogeneous, containing previously described subtypes 4k (48%), 4c (27%), 4r (4%), 4f (4%) and unclassified subtypes (17%). To estimate the epidemic history of these HCV-4 strains, an evolutionary analysis using the coalescent approach was used. The estimated date of the most recent common ancestor of the CAR HCV-4 strains was 1539 (95% confidence intervals, 1317-1697). They exhibited a rapid, exponential spread from 1935 to 1965, simultaneously with what was recently reported in neighbouring Cameroon and Gabon. The hypothesis of a massive iatrogenic transmission during interventions for the control of endemic tropical diseases is discussed.
MeSH terms
-
Central African Republic / epidemiology
-
Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
-
Genetic Variation
-
Genotype*
-
Hepacivirus / classification
-
Hepacivirus / genetics*
-
Hepatitis C / epidemiology*
-
Hepatitis C / virology*
-
Humans
-
Molecular Epidemiology
-
Molecular Sequence Data
-
Phylogeny
-
Time Factors
Associated data
-
GENBANK/FJ791060
-
GENBANK/FJ791061
-
GENBANK/FJ791062
-
GENBANK/FJ791063
-
GENBANK/FJ791064
-
GENBANK/FJ791065
-
GENBANK/FJ791066
-
GENBANK/FJ791067
-
GENBANK/FJ791068
-
GENBANK/FJ791069
-
GENBANK/FJ791070
-
GENBANK/FJ791071
-
GENBANK/FJ791072
-
GENBANK/FJ791073
-
GENBANK/FJ791074
-
GENBANK/FJ791075
-
GENBANK/FJ791076
-
GENBANK/FJ791077
-
GENBANK/FJ791078
-
GENBANK/FJ791079
-
GENBANK/FJ791080
-
GENBANK/FJ791081
-
GENBANK/FJ791082
-
GENBANK/FJ791083
-
GENBANK/FJ791084
-
GENBANK/FJ791085
-
GENBANK/FJ791086
-
GENBANK/FJ791087
-
GENBANK/FJ791088
-
GENBANK/FJ791089
-
GENBANK/FJ791090
-
GENBANK/FJ791091
-
GENBANK/FJ791092
-
GENBANK/FJ791093
-
GENBANK/FJ791094
-
GENBANK/FJ791095
-
GENBANK/FJ791096
-
GENBANK/FJ791097
-
GENBANK/FJ791098
-
GENBANK/FJ791099
-
GENBANK/FJ791100
-
GENBANK/FJ791101
-
GENBANK/FJ791102
-
GENBANK/FJ791103
-
GENBANK/FJ791104
-
GENBANK/FJ791105
-
GENBANK/FJ791106
-
GENBANK/FJ791107
-
GENBANK/FJ791108
-
GENBANK/FJ791109
-
GENBANK/FJ791110
-
GENBANK/FJ791111
-
GENBANK/FJ791112
-
GENBANK/FJ791113
-
GENBANK/FJ791114
-
GENBANK/FJ791115
-
GENBANK/FJ791116
-
GENBANK/FJ791117