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Molecular epidemiological studies show that hepatitis A virus is endemic among active homosexual men in Europe
Author(s) -
SteneJohansen Kathrine,
Tjon Grace,
Schreier Eckart,
Bremer Viviane,
Bruisten Sylvia,
Ngui SiewLin,
King Mike,
Pinto Rosa M.,
Aragonès Lluis,
Mazick Anne,
Corbet Sylvie,
Sundqvist Lena,
Blystad Hans,
Norder Helene,
Skaug Kjell
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1096-9071
pISSN - 0146-6615
DOI - 10.1002/jmv.20781
Subject(s) - outbreak , epidemiology , virology , hepatitis a virus , population , men who have sex with men , genotype , hepatitis a , molecular epidemiology , demography , cluster (spacecraft) , hepatitis d virus , biology , virus , hepatitis , hepatitis b virus , medicine , hbsag , syphilis , genetics , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , sociology , gene , computer science , programming language
Large outbreaks of hepatitis A have occurred in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom during the period 1997–2005 affecting homosexual men. A collaborative study was undertaken between these countries to determine if the strains involved in these hepatitis A outbreaks were related genetically. The N‐terminal region of VP1 and the VP1/P2A region of the strains were sequenced and compared. The majority of the strains found among homosexual men from the different European countries formed a closely related cluster, named MSM1, belonging to genotype IA. Different HAV strains circulated among other risk groups in these countries during the same period, indicating that specific strains were circulating among homosexual men exclusively. Similar strains found among homosexual men from 1997 to 2005 indicate that these HAV strains have been circulating among homosexual men for a long time. The homosexual communities are probably too small within the individual countries to maintain HAV in their population over time, whereas the homosexual communities across Europe are probably sufficiently large to sustain continued circulation of homologous HAV strains for years resulting in an endemic situation among homosexual men. J. Med. Virol. 79:356–365, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.