Molecular detection and genomic characterization of diverse hepaciviruses in African rodents

0544530 - ÚBO 2022 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Bletsa, M. - Vrancken, B. - Gryseels, S. - Boonen, I. - Fikatas, A. - Li, Y. - Laudisoit, A. - Lequime, S. - Bryja, Josef - Makundi, R. - Meheretu, Y. - Akaibe, B. D. - Mbalitini, S. G. - Van de Perre, F. - Van Houtte, N. - Těšíková, Jana - Wollants, E. - Van Ranst, M. - Pybus, O. G. - Drexler, J. F. - Verheyen, E. - Leirs, H. - Goüy de Bellocq, Joëlle - Lemey, P.
Molecular detection and genomic characterization of diverse hepaciviruses in African rodents.
Virus Evolution. Roč. 7, č. 1 (2021), č. článku veab036. E-ISSN 2057-1577
R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP506/10/0983; GA ČR GCP502/11/J070
Institutional support: RVO:68081766
Keywords : cross-species transmission * hepacivirus co-infection * Hepatits C virus * recombination * rodent hepacivirus
OECD category: Virology
Impact factor: 5.614, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://academic.oup.com/ve/article/7/1/veab036/6225056

Hepatitis C virus (HCV, genus Hepacivirus) represents a major public health problem, infecting about three per cent of the human population. Because no animal reservoir carrying closely related hepaciviruses has been identified, the zoonotic origins of HCV still remain unresolved. Motivated by recent findings of divergent hepaciviruses in rodents and a plausible African origin of HCV genotypes, we have screened a large collection of small mammals samples from seven sub-Saharan African countries. Out of 4,303 samples screened, eighty were found positive for the presence of hepaciviruses in twenty-nine different host species. We, here, report fifty-six novel genomes that considerably increase the diversity of three divergent rodent hepacivirus lineages. Furthermore, we provide strong evidence for hepacivirus co-infections in rodents, which were exclusively found in four sampled species of brush-furred mice. We also detect evidence of recombination within specific host lineages. Our study expands the available hepacivirus genomic data and contributes insights into the relatively deep evolutionary history of these pathogens in rodents. Overall, our results emphasize the importance of rodents as a potential hepacivirus reservoir and as models for investigating HCV infection dynamics.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0321373