Abstract
BackgroundCurrent prevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remain unknown in Ningxia, northwest China.MethodsFrom June to December 2013, 13,022 individuals were screened in Ningxia HIV/AIDS Sentinel Surveillance System, with their demographic features collected and serum samples tested for HCV antibody. Sero-positive drug users were further subjected to sequencing of NS5B and Core regions of HCV.ResultsThe anti-HCV prevalence was 0.34 % among individuals without history of drug use, while it was 15.80 % among drug users. Of 79 NS5B sequences amplified from drug users, 64 (81.0 %) were male and 51 (64.0 %) were injection drug users (IDUs). Subtype 3a (40.5 %) and 1b (25.3 %) were the most predominant subtypes, followed in frequency by 3b (10.1 %) and 2a (7.6 %). Subtype distribution has no significant difference between injection and non-injection drug users. Based on phylogeographic analysis, HCV strains in Ningxia IDUs were mainly originated from two sites, Yunnan province (in southwest China bordering Myanmar, also known as Burma) and Xinjiang Autonomous Region (in northwest China on the border of Central Asia), which are the two major drug trafficking originates in China. Previously reported drug-resistance mutations were also scanned in this treatment-naïve population. Amino acid substitutions (C316N) associated with direct anti-viral agents (DAA) resistance were identified in the NS5B region in seven samples.ConclusionThis study is the first to reveal the existence of multiple genotypes of HCV in Ningxia, an inland province in northwest China, suggesting the rapid spreading of the virus.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12985-016-0635-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Current prevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remain unknown in Ningxia, northwest China
Samples Serum samples were collected from Ningxia HIV/AIDS Sentinel Surveillance System, where nine groups of key affecting populations (KAPs) were tested for HCV routinely, including 1) drug users (IDU and non-injection drug users), 2) blood donors, 3) female sex workers (FSW), 4) men who have sex with men (MSM), 5) sexual transmitted disease (STD) outpatients, 6) long-distance truck drivers, 7) migratory populations, 8) pregnant women and new mothers, and 9) young students, for HIV, HCV and syphilis screening (Additional file 1: Supplementary Information 1)
Epidemiology Among 13,022 individuals recruited from Ningxia HIV/ AIDS Sentinel Surveillance System screened for antiHCV antibody, 2443 were drug users
Summary
Current prevalence and genotype distribution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remain unknown in Ningxia, northwest China. The seroprevalence of hepatitis C infection in China is about 0.43 % in general population, corresponding to 5.6 million people [1]. It has been estimated that the real seroprevalence of HCV may be close to 10 million in China [2]. The overall hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence is decreasing due to mandatory HCV antibody screening. HCV, a member of the family Flaviviridae, is a positive single-stranded RNA virus. HCV is mainly divided into 7 genotypes and more than 80 subtypes. HCV genotype 1, 2, and 3 are commonly distributed around the world [10]. The current genetic diversity of HCV infection remains unclear in Ningxia Hui Autonomous
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