Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Ethiopia: A review article

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution genetics and evolution, 2024-08, Vol.122, p.105618, Article 105618
• Main Authors: Assefa, Ayenew, Getie, Molla, Getie, Birhanu, Yazie, Taklo Simeneh, Enkobahry, Aklesya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ethiopia; HBV; Molecular epidemiology
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2024.105618

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) belongs to the family Hepadnaviridae and is the smallest human DNA virus, with a genome that is only 3200 nucleotides long. The absence of proofreading function in HBV reverse transcriptase provides a wide range of genetic variants for targeted outgrowth at different stages of infection. A number of sub genotypes and ten HBV genotypes (A through J) have been identified through analyses of the divergence of HBV genomic sequences. Numerous clinical outcomes, including the emergence of chronicity, the course of the disease, the effectiveness of treatment, and the response to vaccination, have been related to differences in genotype between HBV isolates. There are just seven studies that have been done in Ethiopia that examine the molecular epidemiology of HBV. Moreover, these studies haven't been compiled and reviewed yet. In this review, we looked at the genetic diversity and molecular epidemiology of HBV, the relationship between HBV genotypes and clinical outcomes, the immunopathogenesis of HBV, and finally the molecular epidemiology of HBV in Ethiopia. PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar search engines were used to find relevant articles for the review. By using HBV genotyping, clinicians can better tailor vaccination decisions and antiviral therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis B who are more likely to experience the disease's progression. •In this article we demonstrated that in Ethiopia, genotype A was found to be the most common HBV genotype, followed by genotype D.•In the northern region, genotype D was especially prevalent.•Less frequently occurring genotypes included C, E, and G.•Furthermore, A1 and D2 were the two most prevalent sub genotypes identified in Ethiopia.•To some extent, D10 was also a commonly occurring sub genotype in the nation.