Genotyping of acute hepatitis a virus isolates from China, 2003–2008

Abstract

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is usually transmitted by an oral-fecal route and is prevalent not only in developing countries but also in developed countries. In the present study, the phylogenetic characterization of the VP1/2A junction region (321 nucleotides) of China HAV isolates was examined. Anti-HAV IgM-positive serum samples were collected from 8 provinces, including 20 cities or counties in China from 2003 to 2008; 337 isolates from 406 HAV patients' serum samples were amplified by RT-PCR, sequenced at the VP1/2A junction region and aligned with the published sequences from GenBank to establish phylogenetic analysis. All China HAV isolates in this study belonged to genotype I, with 98.8% (333/337) of samples clustering in sub-genotype IA and 1.2% (4/337) in sub-genotype IB. In addition, sub-genotype IA isolates clustered into four groups (92.7-100% nucleotide identity), and the samples collected from all China HAV isolates in this investigation showed 87.5-100% nucleotide identity, but the amino acids in this region were more conserved (95.2-100% identity). Few unique amino acid changes could be deduced (VP1-253: Glu → Gly; 2A-34: Pro → Ala; 2A-33: Leu → Phe). Genetically identical or similar HAV strains existed in some investigated areas in China during different years, suggesting that an indigenous strain has been circulating in those regions. This report provides new data on the genetic relatedness and molecular epidemiology of HAV isolates from China as well as the distribution of sub-genotype IA and IB in this part of the world.

Molecular Characterization of Hepatitis A Virus Isolates from Nigeria

“…1). It is probable that these two countries probably share common mechanisms that enable the transmission of HAV, or it may be a reflection of the fact that HAV forms highly conserved clusters of rare codons that restrict antigenic variability that could result in similar VP1/P2A sequences from unrelated cases [17]. Full genome analysis of HAV sequences from this region would provide additional information on this.…”

Malnutrition among children under the age of five in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): does geographic location matter?

“…Consequently, chronic malnutrition is a serious problem, affecting some 48 percent of children in the DRC [12]. …”

“…Preliminary reports from three nutritional national surveys (the 1995 and 2001 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (1995 and 2001 MICS) and the 2007 Demographic and Health Survey (2007 DRCDHS) show that nutritional situation in the DRC remains critical [12,13]. Specifically, nutritional status of children under the age of 5 indicated deterioration in terms of acute malnutrition (stunting, wasting and underweight).…”

“…Health and physical consequences of prolonged states of malnourishment among children are: delay in their physical growth and motor development; lower intellectual quotient (IQ), greater behavioural problems and deficient social skills; susceptibility to contracting diseases [1,2]. Furthermore, child malnutrition is associated with approximately 60 percent of under-five mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries [3]. …”

“…The DRC is one of the SSA countries characterised by extreme poverty, high incidence of childhood diseases, high mortality and poor infrastructure: 75 percent of people are malnourished [1]; hundreds of thousands of children have died due to malnutrition over the past 12 years [3]. Furthermore, the country continues to experience armed conflicts and political instability since 1990.…”