Abstract
Characterization of newly acquired Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is important in order to understand the epidemiology and spread of HCV. To describe the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype distribution of newly acquired HCV infections in the province of British Columbia for the period 2000-2013. A descriptive cross-sectional analysis of multi-year data on HCV genotypes. Time trends for the proportion of different HCV genotypes are presented only for newly acquired (incident) HCV infections. For acute cases, genotype 1a remains the dominant HCV type in circulation (50%), followed by genotype 3a (34%). HCV genotype 1b declined, while genotype 2 was relatively stable. Phylogenetically-related clusters of HCV strains were observed indicating a common source of infection. Enhanced hepatitis surveillance provides a mechanism for monitoring different HCV strains currently circulating in the community. While HCV genotype 1a continues to be the most prevalent, changes in the relative frequency of genotypes 1 and 3 have been observed. This may have important implications for the control and prevention of the infection.
Highlights
Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease with a global prevalence of 2.8% affecting about 185 million people [1]
Enhanced hepatitis surveillance provides a mechanism for monitoring different HCV strains currently circulating in the community
The objective of this paper is to describe the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype distribution of newly acquired HCV infections in the province of British Columbia for the period 2000-2013
Summary
Hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease with a global prevalence of 2.8% affecting about 185 million people [1]. A recent study from Ontario ranked HCV first among 51 pathogens based on their relative contribution to the overall infectious diseases burden [2]. HCV genotypes differ in their geographical distribution based on disease endemicity and transmission route. Studies in the US [6] and Canada [7] identified 1a as the predominant genotoype. Based on a re-analysis of this study using an up-to-date classification approach, genotypes 1a and 1b were almost evenly distributed (54% for HCV 1a and 46% for 1b respectively). Characterization of newly acquired Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is important in order to understand the epidemiology and spread of HCV
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