Title: Identification of hepatitis B virus genotype A/E recombinants in Ghana.
Authors: Boyce, Ceejay L; Willis, Stephaney; Archampong, Timothy N A; Lartey, Margaret; Sagoe, Kwamena W; Obo-Akwa, Adjoa; Kenu, Ernest; Kwara, Awewura; Blackard, Jason T
Published In Virus Genes, (2019 Oct)
Abstract: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) exhibits a high degree of heterogeneity with at least 10 genotypes (A-J) identified to date. Intergenotypic recombination is relatively common. Previously, we investigated HBV drug resistance in HIV/HBV co-infected individuals in Ghana. After identifying multiple circulating genotypes and a novel D/E recombinant, we sought to determine if additional individuals were also infected with recombinant HBV. Partial genome sequences from three individuals were initially identified as genotype A4. Full-length HBV genomes were obtained using rolling circle amplification followed by PCR and shown to cluster with known A/E recombinant viruses. Similar recombination breakpoints were observed in these three individuals suggesting local spread of this novel recombinant HBV in Ghana.
PubMed ID: 31346975
MeSH Terms: Adult; Cluster Analysis; Female; Genotype*; Ghana; Hepatitis B virus/classification*; Hepatitis B virus/genetics*; Hepatitis B virus/isolation & purification; Hepatitis B/virology*; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phylogeny; Recombination, Genetic*; Whole Genome Sequencing