Change in hepatitis C virus genotype in injecting drug users

Six major genotypes of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been described; it is assumed to be uncommon for genotypes to change in chronically infected individuals. Venous blood samples obtained from Vietnamese‐Australian injecting drug users who participated in successive studies conducted in Melbourn...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical virology 2004-12, Vol.74 (4), p.543-545
Main Authors: Aitken, Campbell, McCaw, Rhonda, Jardine, Darren, Bowden, Scott, Higgs, Peter, Nguyen, Oanh, Crofts, Nick, Hellard, Margaret
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Epidemiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Genotype
genotype variability
HCV incidence
Hepacivirus - classification
Hepacivirus - genetics
Hepacivirus - immunology
Hepatitis C - epidemiology
Hepatitis C - etiology
Hepatitis C - virology
Human viral diseases
illicit drug users
infection dynamics
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Microbiology
Miscellaneous
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - complications
Substance Abuse, Intravenous - virology
Viral diseases
Virology
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Summary:Six major genotypes of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been described; it is assumed to be uncommon for genotypes to change in chronically infected individuals. Venous blood samples obtained from Vietnamese‐Australian injecting drug users who participated in successive studies conducted in Melbourne, Australia, were genotyped using the Bayer line probe assay and genotype confirmed by sequencing whenever possible. Three changes of HCV genotype were observed, and one infection in an individual not exposed previously. The rate of change of genotype was 3 in 11.4 person‐years (py), or 26.4 per 100 py (95% CI: 8.5, 81.6). Traditionally‐calculated HCV incidence was 1 in 4.3 py, or 23.3 per 100 py (95% CI: 3.3, 165.1). These data imply that HCV genotype change in injecting drug users occurs at least as frequently as infections in naïve individuals, and that traditionally‐calculated HCV incidence rates represent a minority of actual HCV transmission among practicing injecting drug users. J. Med. Virol. 74:543–545, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
ISSN:0146-6615
1096-9071
DOI:10.1002/jmv.20212