This Article Full Text (PDF) Other Versions of this Article: JCM.02142-07v1 46/2/754    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Makuwa, M. Articles by Kazanji, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Makuwa, M. Articles by Kazanji, M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Clin. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/JCM.02142-07
Copyright (c) 2007, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Prevalence and genetic diversity of hepatitis B and delta viruses in pregnant women in Gabon: molecular evidence that hepatitis delta virus clade 8 originates from and is endemic in central Africa

Laboratoire de Virologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales, BP 769, Franceville, Gabon; Programme National de Lutte contre le Sida, Libreville, Gabon; Service de Coopération et d'Action Culturelle, French Embassy, BP 2105, Libreville, Gabon; Réseau International des Instituts Pasteur, Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: m.kazanji{at}cirmf.org.

	Abstract

Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) was found in 9.2% of 1186 pregnant women from Gabon, of which 10.1% had HB e Antigen and 89.9% had anti-HBe antibodies. Antibodies to hepatitis delta virus (HDV) were found in 15.6% of the HBsAg-positive women. HBV strains were of the A3 and E genotypes. HDV strains belonged to HDV-1 and to HDV-8 clades. These results provide clear evidence that HDV-8 is indigenous to Africa.