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Genetic analysis of hepatitis A virus variants circulating among children presenting with acute diarrhea in Cameroon
Author(s) -
Forbi Joseph C.,
Agwale Simon M.,
Ndip Lucy M.,
Esona Mathew D.
Publication year - 2012
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.23266
Subject(s) - virology , biology , genotype , virus , population , diarrhea , hepatitis a virus , medicine , gene , genetics , environmental health
Molecular investigation was undertaken of circulating hepatitis A virus (HAV) associated with cases of acute diarrhea among children under 5 years of age in Kumba–Cameroon. Reverse transcription PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis of a 371 bp segment of the VP1/P2A junction of six isolates obtained from stool samples showed the exclusive emergence of genetically related HAV subgenotype IA. All the isolates clustered within a unique lineage exhibiting a 99.5% nucleotide identity suggesting infection from a common source. The Cameroonian HAV isolates did not intermix or cluster with those from other regions of Africa and the rest of the world. Tajima's neutralization tests using the six sequences suggested HAV/IA population expansion (D = −1.37; P = 0.016). This is the first description of indigenous HAV genotypes circulating in Cameroon revealing a community‐wide spread and predominance of HAV/1A infection in the Kumba area. These findings stress the need for routine molecular tracking of HAV infection as a contributory cause of acute diarrhea in Cameroonian children. J. Med. Virol. 84:728–732, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.