Discovery and Epidemiology of the Human Polyomaviruses BK Virus (BKV) and JC Virus (JCV)

Abstract

Although discovered over thirty years ago, many aspects of the epidemiology of BKV and JCV in the general population, such as the source of infectious virus and the mode of transmission, are still unknown. Primary infection with both BKV and JCV is usually asymptomatic, and so age seroprevalence studies have been used to indicate infection. BKV commonly infects young children in all parts of the world, with the exception of a few very isolated communities, adult seroprevalence rates of 65-90% being reached by the age of ten years. In contrast, the pattern of JCV infection appears to vary between populations; in some anti-JCV antibody is acquired early as for BKV, but in others anti-JCV antibody prevalence continues to rise throughout life. This indicates that the two viruses are probably transmitted independently and by different routes. Whilst BKV DNA is found infrequently in the urine of healthy adults, JCV viruria occurs universally, increasing with age, with adult prevalence rates often between 20% and 60%. Four antigenic subtypes have been described for BKV and eight genotypes are currently recognized for JCV. The latter have been used to trace population movements and to reconstruct the population history in various communities.

Host-Specific Replication of BK Virus DNA in Mouse Cell Extracts Is Independently Controlled by DNA Polymerase α-Primase and Inhibitory Activities

“…Up to 90% of adults have serologic evidence of exposure to BKV, but in most humans the virus remains latent (25,26). Almost all disease accompanied by BKV reactivation has been found in immunocompromised patients (22).…”

Detección de polyomavirus BK y JC en extractos leucocitarios de sangre periférica de pacientes con infección por VIH del área norte de Santiago

“…Estudios previos en pacientes sanos habían mostrado prevalencias muy diversas que oscilaron entre 7% y 92% en muestras de leucocitos 13 . En pacientes inmunocomprometidos también se ha determinado porcentajes diversos entre 4,7% en países nórdicos y 25% en Italia con técnicas más recientes 14,15 ; no puede excluirse la posibilidad de que la mejora en la sensibilidad de las técnicas de diagnóstico haya sido un factor relevante en la obtención de datos tan disímiles.…”

Epidemiology of Simian Polyomavirus SV40 in Different Areas of Russian Federation (RF)

“…To the researcher's surprise the antibodies to SV40 were also detected in not vaccinated people. In connection with this fact the researchers came out with a suggestion that in human populations virus can spread horizontally (Knowles et al, 2006) It has been shown that virus can excrete into surrounding with excrements, breast milk, sperm, that supports the assumption about the possibility of horizontal spreading of the virus Martini, 1996;Vastag, 2002).…”

“…Later 3 more polyomaviruses were isolated: KI, Wu from respiratory tract and MCV from rare malignant skin tumor -Merkel carcinoma (Feng et al, 2008) Among human viruses such ubiquitous viruses as JCV and BKV are widely known and are determined from 60 to 90% of cases in humans according to data of different authors (Knowles et al, 2006;Maginnis & Atwood, 2009). …”