Wide variety of genotypes and geographic origins of hepatitis B virus in Belgian children.
(2001) Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition — Vol. 32, n° 3, p. 274-277 (2001)
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- BACKGROUND: Belgium is a country with low endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Few data are available on genotypes or serotypes of HBV among infected children. METHODS: The S region of the hepatitis B virus genome was amplified and sequenced in 23 children treated with interferon-alpha in Belgium. Nucleotide sequences were aligned and compared with other known sequences in a phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: A high stability of the S gene was observed during treatment. Four genotypes were represented in this sample of Belgian patients (A, B, D, and E), reflecting the geographic diversity of origins. CONCLUSIONS: In this series, the wide variety of geographic origins is confirmed by the molecular characteristics of HBV. In Belgium, HBV infection of children is currently essentially an imported infection.
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Liu, H. F., Sokal, E., & Goubau, P. (2001). Wide variety of genotypes and geographic origins of hepatitis B virus in Belgian children. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 32(3), 274-277. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005176-200103000-00008 (Original work published 2001)